Mortem: Death Row: Redux
by Harmonium-Kruger
Summary: (Now a collab with Twisted Eternal Wolvetta) Natsuki Kruger is a model daughter and citizen, until one night something makes her snap. Now, she's an inmate on death row, awaiting her birthday execution. Reporters and journalists are scrambling over one another to get the story on just why she committed the crime, or rather, if she even did. (New series title: Mortem)
1. Murder of Crows

**Disclaimer: I obviously do not own Mai HiME, nor Mai Otome, and yes, this is a much **_**much**_** better edition of the original Death Row. A lot of things have changed, but it is still the fantastic story that launched me into a public eye years ago.**

**Warning: This story contains and will contain graphic violence against animals and character death. Those with weak stomachs should not continue. Enjoy!**

**Death Row: Redux**

**A Murder of Crows**

**~D~**

There were no crows to be had this evening, and this just would not do. For a reason unbeknownst to herself, she needed those winged metaphors of death like she needed air in her lungs, and she needed that desperately as she soon found herself panting like a madman on a dash, as if she herself were sprinting when all she was doing was standing, holding a smooth rock the size of her palm.

If there were no crows here, she would find them, and bring them to this spot. How odd it was to her, that getting struck by a rock while flying away would lead them to crumple in mid-air. Fascinating how holding the black bird down and bashing its beak into its own brain was so completely satisfying... Once it was dead, it weighed almost nothing, and she secured three more like it to her belt.

She needed the feathers for tonight.

**~D~**

"Where on Earth is your sister? Going out in the middle of the night…" Murmuring softly to her youngest daughter, robe being pulled taut around her waist by the sash, pale hands shook with just a hint of fear.

"She's never done something so… Odd. As such, that is." Correcting herself, the woman strode towards the front door, checking out of the small glass panel to see outside before being startled by a sound at the back.

"Natsuki? That had better be you, young lady. I'll have you know you woke up Nina and I-... What is all over you?"

Admonished, or at least looking the part, Natsuki strode into the light, covered in small speckles of blood as though her shirt had sprouted freckles. "Feathers." She answered, though that was clearly one half of the answer.

"What seems to be wrong, mother?"

Saeko was startled, unnerved to say the least as her gaze trailed and came to a stop upon the belt of dead crows; Eyes widening in faint fear and confusion.

"...Why are you covered in feathers _and _blood, Natsuki?" She had something in her left hand, what was it…?

"Well, how else was I supposed to get the feathers?"

"Why do you need feathers…? Why aren't you answering me?"

Cocking her head to the side, Natsuki smiled softly as Nina approached her, the small child poking one of the dead birds hanging from a worn leather belt. Their mother watched on in idle horror, the emotion only increasing once Nina let out a giggle.

Clearly, she didn't understand what was going on…

"Instead of asking so many questions, I think it is time for bed… Mother, take Nina to bed, I will stay up and work on getting these feathers." Natsuki's face was serene, blood-splattered as it was.

Saeko stared, cautiously stepping close to take Nina into her arms, a move Natsuki seemed to resent just from the pure warning it came with; The fear her mother seemed to harbor for her in this instant.

It only made what was soon to come all the more enjoyable.

**~D~**

It was so hard to get blood from feathers; the downy softness of wings having been splintered open until the bone fragments just spewed and landed wherever they damn well pleased…

She was more gentle with the next one, the harder task at hand already accomplished; In record time, Natsuki reminded _and_ boasted to herself. Soon, she had a crown of perfect sable feathers, the black turning the faintest of indigo when met with any light source.

Her favorite was candle-light; Oh how rich those colors looked, flames dancing upon them and warming them to life-like authenticity.

But of course, they were dead. The crows, her mother, and little Nina too. With the very same smooth rock with which she had struck the birds down, did she ultimately put a stopper to two-thirds of her family's mortal coil.

There was still her father, of course, but oddly he seemed… Absent.

A pity, that would just make this… Harder. But, she loved a challenge.

Soon before her were three crowns of full sable feathers, only one bloodstained. She took that for herself, the nicer things were only meant for the dead, after all. Natsuki whistled a low tune in the otherwise silent manor, the noise more unsettling than the quiet.

It had just turned dusk, the sun barely starting to rise over the clump of trees scattered along the back to make the manor seem more _homey_; Or at least that is what mother had always said… Foolish woman.

A mug of coffee prepared, and the warming tingle of cold blood running down the side of her cheeks from her feathered crown, Natsuki gave a proud smile down to a vast stain of blood over ashen wood flooring. "Mother, why are you being so lazy? Nina should be up soon, and breakfast is not even started? Tsk…"

Setting her mug down, Natsuki tutted and heaved the dead woman over a shoulder, not seeming to mind or care for the blood that soon soaked through her shirt. "Ugh, you will have to clean this up, you know." She chastised the corpse, sitting her at the bar and letting her skull crack on the surface.

"Hm… Are you tired? I will fetch something to keep you up." With that, Natsuki left the kitchen and kept whistling, finding a strong rope she had bought in preparation for this wonderful event.

"Here we are…" One end had already been pulled and knotted tight into a noose, the other perfectly braided to hold strong. Slipping the noose end around her mother's neck, Natsuki's whistle took a low tone as she stood on a chair and heaved the other end around the strong lighting fixture, hoisting her mother up and tying it off at the oven door.

Upon being hoisted, Saeko's corpse knocked over the stool it was propped in, and Natsuki seemed appalled at the very notion, stepping down from her chair with mouth agape.

"Mother, _what have you done_?!" She stared up at the lifeless swinging body, before giving a disgusted noise and fixing the chair. "You cannot make the place a mess!"

Feet just hanging off the floor, the corpse was composed more like a marionette… For her daughter's amusement. Humming now, Natsuki gave a push to the corpse's left arm to swing her towards the stove, forcing one arm to prop onto the handle of a skillet, the other to grasp a spatula, itself resting on the surface of the metal.

"Now, make breakfast. She will not be napping the day away." Natsuki scolded the corpse, returning to the table to fetch one of the other feathered crowns and gently settling it onto Saeko's head.

With a peck just an inch away from a bashed skull, Natsuki pulled back. "I love you, mother."

Blood splattered the walls where she had done the deed; Her mother in the main hall, and Nina having been asleep in her bed… Strangely, her sister had been the messiest of the two. How odd…

Natsuki's whistling returned, the only sound in the otherwise dead household, the woman striding happily up towards her sister's room. With a rolling of already bloodied sleeves; As ivory had turned to crimson in a matter of moments when she struck with that stone, Natsuki opened the door.

"Nina, lazy girl… Always laying about. Well, I suppose I should let you sleep, you are growing…" Pecking a similarly bludgeoned brow, she set the last and smallest feathered crowd atop her sister's head, though with difficulty.

The bed with which the corpse lain was stained thoroughly; Blood making its war path known on cotton sheets and thick blankets. If not for that, and the revolting disfigurement with which the stone had wrought when Natsuki had struck with brute force, Nina looked as though she may be sleeping.

Everything was complete, perfect now in a way she couldn't begin to have dreamt of. Her whistling stopped as she left Nina's room, bloody trails where she had dragged her mother evident as she made way down into the main hall once more.

Utter silence… Utter peace.

Sitting down to her morning coffee, more blood trailing over her face from the hastily torn feathers of her crown, Natsuki lifted the mug to her lips and took a slow sip. It would be a good day…

**~D~**

Three days. That was the minimum limit of days she had her silence, and it was all ruined by two ignorant men. As such the world was, she supposed…

She had been enjoying her morning coffee, in a clean outfit of pressed dark slacks and a sleek button-down of baby-blue, not a drop of blood on her. Shined shoes were a thing to take pride in, and take she did, raking back coal hair that had the same shine as the crow feathers, the crown still atop her head.

The interruption came soft at first, a knocking at the door across the main hall, but it was interrupting nonetheless.

Not bothering with the window, or the little slot, Natsuki swiftly opened opened the door and stared. When they started to speak, disgusted looks spawned on their faces, no doubt from the smell...

She slowly rose her mug, sipping the last dregs of her coffee before clearing her throat. "What can I do for you, officers?" Nonchalant as a murderer could be, Natsuki cocked a thin brow towards them.

"...We're here to investigate the… very powerful odor of human remains reported from this address. Would you mind if we stepped inside?" His lesser partner was gagging already; This could be fun.

"Of course. Nothing to hide." Natsuki murmured, stepping aside to let the two men catch a gander at the stain along dark wood. She heard the gagging officer curse softly, and smirked as she turned her back to them both.

"Mother is just in the kitchen, she caused such a mess-"

"We have also had reports of your mother not showing in for work?" The officer froze as Natsuki slowly turned to face him, more than just death in her eyes.

"I do not like being interrupted."

The other officer whipped a handkerchief from his jacket, pressing it to his mouth as he struggled to breathe. "You say your mother made a mess…?" The first one narrowed his eyes, one hand traveling to his belt for his gun.

"A big mess, yes. It explains the smell, and all these stains… She is just in the kitchen, as I said earlier… Please, go take a look." Natsuki smiled faintly, returning to her coffee.

The officer covering his mouth exchanged glances with his partner, stepping towards the kitchen. Taking her seat, Natsuki waited as she lifted the mug to her lips, delighted once she heard the man's muffled scream before the handkerchief fell.

"S-she strung her up! On a noose!" He babbled, the other officer whipping his gun out and taking aim; Gunpowder stinging at her nose once the barrel faced her. He had fired it earlier… It must be still warm, just a bit, at least.

"Now, now… You can take me alive. You men always seem so eager to kill something…" Natsuki chastised them, relishing in the confusion settling on their faces.

"Go find the girl." The officer kept his gun trained on her, his partner ascending the stairs. They were the only surface not utterly soaked in blood, though they had been splattered...

The smell of decay grew stronger, and the man had to take a pause to press the cloth harder against his mouth and nose, coughing to expel the hideous taste of death from his throat. A few more steps and a soft nudge on an open door, the stink hit him full force, as did the visage of the corpse of the girl laying in bed.

Crimson turned almost black as it covered the entire bed, splattered along the walls and the floor. Childish drawings of someone who seemed identical to that of the odd woman downstairs littered the walls, the only things that seemed… cleaned up.

Watching the unnerved man who stunk of gunpowder, the woman casually lifted her mug to her lips. She seemed to be waiting for something, and once the officer upstairs let out a wicked yell, she drank the last dregs of her coffee.

"The girl's dead too, wearing some… Freaky feather crown, like the mother and… _her_." The second officer rejoined them, the stench of death more potent now that Nina's bedroom door was open.

Setting her mug down, with a rather irritated flourish at being interrupted at all, Natsuki stood from her seat and clasped her hands behind her back; Jade gaze switching between the two of them.

"What are you waiting for? Will you arrest me, or shoot me?"

Silence permeated now, the officer holding the gun raising it a bit higher and tightening his hand on the rough grip of it. His partner eyed him nervously, unsure of what should, or rather could, be done. This woman was a monster; Who's to say shooting her would even kill her?

"Arrest or shoot, officer. I do not have all day…"

He should have shot her.

**~D~**

"Lieutenant Kruger! Is it true that you're not giving your daughter a fair trial?!" These reporter scum; Useless journalists leeching off of society for mere dollars on every word. Sickening.

"The case was highly precedent, her trial is being moved up to not keep such a dangerous criminal behind flimsy bars. She is not my daughter." The burly man sneered to the camera, cheeks just a bit pink and eyes teary.

Once the doors slammed shut on the vultures, he resigned himself. Natsuki was going to jail, quick and without a doubt that she committed the crime.

Of course, she _had _committed it, as he himself had been working a night-shift at the station. Unless he had means to control his daughter, Natsuki was completely guilty.

Takeo sighed softly, composing himself and wiping clammy palms along his reddened cheeks before entering the courtroom.

**~D~**

He sat in the middle row, watching the room fill in with his friends, family friends even, and a teacher from Nina's school to boot. Everyone looked sullen, distressed, distraught.

He hoped he looked sad enough; The pats on his shoulder from fellow officers affirmation of that. They grouped around him in the pews, forming a barrier from journalists that had snuck past the guards, and a few escorting them out roughly.

The judge wasn't here yet, and it worried him. Where was that ugly brute?

He had specifically asked, and even bribed, for a judge known for not once being lenient. Leniency had no place in a courtroom, Takeo believed; Especially not when the criminal was a relative of a decorated officer such as himself.

Natsuki deserved to die for the horrid things she did, this he knew.

The bailiff was one he had never seen before this case as well, and it all seemed… fishy. The officer was a woman, not that he had a thing against female officers, but this one was a bit… Odd.

Why would a bailiff need to wear such… _colorful_ eye makeup?

He had been too busy staring to notice the judge had arrived until one of his fellow officers led him to stand to attention. His eye twitched; This was not the judge he had paid for…

"All rise, this court is now in session. The honorable Judge Chrysant presiding." The bailiff almost boomed, several jumping in their stances as a mousy woman took her place.

Takeo almost glared before remembering where he was, instead silently grumbling to himself and crossing his arms when they were allowed to sit once more. That bastard fraud he paid would definitely be expecting a visit from him…

"This is a very serious and graphic case. We will be having to go over the details, so I suggest anyone with weak wills or stomachs must leave. I will not have vomit in this courtroom." The supposedly mousy woman ordered, a few sheepishly leaving.

"Bring her in." Judge Chrysant ordered the bailiff, the blonde speaking softly into a radio, an earpiece settled securely and almost hidden in her hair.

The side-doors, bamboo in tone but perhaps not the real make; Takeo could see these cheapskates skirting the finer things, either way they opened to reveal a set of officers and his daughter in the middle.

She was done up in chains and still in the pristine clothes she had been arrested in; Rattling steel criss-crossing over her chest from atop her shoulders and swaying down towards her legs, keeping them tight and uniformly controlled. Her arms were weighted down with steel mits instead of cuffs, and at that Takeo about huffed out loud.

Steel mits? Really? They encased the whole of her hands… Once those chains were off, she could kill anyone of them with a haymaker alone! Who paid these incredible buffoons…?

"Flouncing about with chains? You are lucky nothing is visibly cutting into her skin, or you would be next on trial for brutality." The judge harshly glared through square-rimmed spectacles at the officer, who indeed was the one to make the arrest.

"Why thank you, I told them the exact same thing." The prisoner spoke up, her face a bit red from having been scrubbed of blood from the crow crown which she had been wearing up until a few short hours ago.

"Now then… This trial is already fairly odd without more circumstances being added. We have no jury, no exact witnesses except for Miss Kruger herself, as the father of the household was working days and nights at his station starting… one day before the incident?" Yukino eyed Takeo, the man standing to nod his head.

The officers around him rallied silently as well, and the bailiff strode forward to accept a paper confirming his alibi; Timecard and his own reports at the time.

The blonde read them both over before bringing them to the judge; Yukino taking her time. Takeo stewed silently; Furious at how it seemed he may have almost been accused.

"Before I begin, Miss Kruger, I understand you have declined any legal help? No lawyer, attorney… No one?"

"Just myself." Natsuki offered a kind smile up to the judge, Yukino a little unsure before giving a nod.

"Then, it seems that there is astounding evidence piled against Miss Kruger in these counts. As it stands; Four counts of animal abuse against birds from the genus Corvus, crows to be more specific. Two counts of first degree murder, one count of harm against a minor. Two counts of abuse on a corpse-" Around this point, Yukino started to appear green under the gills, as were a few of the officers around Takeo.

Cowards...

"This is quite a long list of offences… All very disturbing. Miss Kruger, what do you have to say to these accusations?" Yukino lowered the paper, the bailiff handing her a small cup of water.

"To the accusations of what I have done, I merely state that every single one is indeed true. I planned them, down to the last detail. I was doing it, I did it, and succeeded. I do not believe much else needs to be said."

Shocked, the judge stared at her before composing herself and clearing her throat. "Then… you confess?"

"Wholeheartedly. I am guilty." Natsuki kept her kind smile even as the rest of the courtroom seemed about to burst at the seams with hatred. Takeo glared at her, his fellow officers trying to block his sight of her.

She was a disease, something far more deadly than the black plague… An apex predator, born from the womb something evil and far too powerful for this world.

"If there are no further… Contests to this?" Yukino looked directly to him, and Takeo shook his head faintly.

"Then… Miss Kruger, on all of your accounts, I sentence you to death. You will be held on Death Row until the day of your twenty-third birthday, and then executed by lethal injection." Slamming the gavel down, Yukino kept her eyes to her stand.

Rattling of the chains rang out with an almost haunting tune as Natsuki was hoisted up by her arresting officers and led out; Takeo's friends cheering a bit rowdy as they patted him on the back.

They were imbeciles as well, but at least _they_ could be persuaded; Bought. Control was something he admired and respected greatly. To have no control made him no more than an animal.

"_Quiet_." He spoke out softly before bellowing, the sheer shock of a sudden outburst flaring out like a quake. "I've just lost my daughters… My wife is dead as well. What the _hell_ are you cheering over?"

The others around him quieted, most sheepish and pink in the face from embarrassment.

Control at its finest…

**~D~**

"I should have just shot her if I knew she was just going to die in a few years." One of the arresting officers grumbled, piling Natsuki into the transport truck.

"Sergei, you're a bit of a hardass, eh?"

"What would you rather, waste millions in taxes to keep that freak alive, or one bullet?" The man grumbled back, shutting the door with a huff.

The other stared, a bit concerned as the transport took off with a rattling of the frame. "Maybe we should get you some down-time…"

**~D~**

The ride to the prison had been rather boring, since after all the transport truck's windows were covered with steel shutters. Natsuki would have preferred a view of trees, perhaps even a lake or something calm and quiet… Instead, all she got was a crackle of the engine and the heat of being in an armored vehicle.

"Ugh." The disgusted noise uttered only briefly when the door opened again, filtering fresh cold air to battle the stuffy atmosphere inside. Guards stepped in, accompanying the other two that had rode over with her.

Still bound in chains with the steel mits, which she hoped someone had the keys for, Natsuki stood without a fuss. Fighting would only prolong her suffering, she would rather get it over with and be comfortable in her cell…

No doubt an odd thought, but it was hers nonetheless.

She gained a brief view of the sky; The sun was setting and bleeding its various hues into the darkening azure of the sky. There was a faint smell of fire in the air, mixed in with the pure gauntlet frame of the prison; steel and concrete enhanced thanks to the dampness of rain.

It was a shame the rain had stopped before she had a chance to feel it once last time on her skin; The cold permeating into every last bone… How she missed it, and miss it she would still.

She hung her head for the first time since being sprung into the public eye, and a guard gave her a look. They said she had been forthcoming and calm during her forced trial, no guilt other than her spoken confession. So… what was this, then? Remorse?

A devil can't feel remorse.

Natsuki relished the last gust of fresh wind against her cheek before all senses were blocked and suffocated by the prison, the doors slammed shut behind her. She hoped, though no matter how implausible it seemed, that there may be a small barred window in her cell.

Anything to be linked to nature…

Inside, it was so utterly noisy. Between automatic doors grating with their heavy groans or the inmates making a fuss over a new addition, Natsuki noticed something. The inmates were only noisy until they saw her face; No doubt her serene smile and expression so unsettling it quieted them all.

The guards escorting her exchanged uneasy glances; Just what had they brought into their domain? A demon, a devil, or something far more sinister?

Because this Kruger certainly was not a Saint.

Why exactly did they have to cross the main hall of the prison to secure herself into the death row segment? She scoffed at the architecture of the structure, shaking her head and rattling her chains more.

Not even a smidge of taste here… Such a waste.

Here to spend the rest of her life, short at that, and without any… Marble flooring? No granite wall of her accomplishments like in her part of the manor; No wooden flooring…

Just… Dull grey walls and floors and ceilings.

A brief flicker of regret in her eyes flared out and emerald sharpened into a fierce glare as she was faced with an oncoming guard, the man scurrying away quickly with a furrowed brow and a tight frown.

The regret melted away easily, and Natsuki chuckled softly to herself as the segment she was meant for was finally revealed; A long hallway leading towards the sable double-doors marked with crimson.

"It's never been this quiet before." She heard one guard speak to another over the sound of her rattling chains; Fingers stretching inside the steel mits. Fairly uncomfortable…

They came upon the door and were buzzed in, two separate cameras with vision set completely onto the entrance. No one allowed into death row who didn't have the right clearance, she supposed…

The only sound were uniformed boots on the grey floor, along with the sound of her brogues as she had not yet changed into the customary clothing the other inmates seemed to be wearing. All drab and boring… Just like the prison.

What was that burning smell? Before disappearing behind sable doors, she swore she picked its scent up again…

Heavy doors shutting and locking in place behind them, Natsuki stared at a wall that almost immediately met them. There were two ways to go now; Left, and right. The guards urged her right, and it seemed there was a bit of architectural creativity at last; A gauntlet maze…

It must be so _vast_ to even be a maze at all.

She would remember the way, there was no doubt she would.

The walls were as dark as the entry doors to this segment of the prison; Ebony with a glossy finish… They were so beautiful…

Natsuki stared, almost enamored with her reflection as she was maneuvered throughout the maze, rarely seeing an inmate here or there in a solitary cell. These chains were beginning to become too heavy, but her shoulders squared and her back stayed straight.

Finally, the guards led her down a right passage without a left alternate, and it ended with another glossy wall. A dead-end… There was only one occupied cell; Emerald glancing into it and taking note of scarred skin before she was shoved forward by a brave officer.

She sent a glare back but complied, the shaking of his boots enough to get a smirk out of her. Ah, a corner cell… How odd. The door of the cell blended into the dead-end wall, and opened with an almost silent hiss of gears.

It contained one bed, a table and chair, shelves… This was an odd setup for an inmate of any lower standing, and especially for death row?

"Your… father insisted we keep you in somewhat comfortable settings, seeing as you are the only remaining family he has left." A guard spoke up at seeing her expression, though Natsuki's features twisted into an even more confused visage.

"How odd." She uttered barely over her breath, and was led inside the decent-sized cell. To her disappointment, there was no window to be seen. With a heavy sight, Natsuki eyed the male guard trying to approach her.

"I think chains and mits would best be removed by a woman." She pointed out dryly, and the man flushed.

"Er… Right." He nodded to one of the women, passing over a small ring of keys. Oh good, they did have them at least…

Her shoulders sagged a bit in relief when the heavy chains were removed, markings along her throat and no doubt under her clothes… The mits were next, and she made a rapid move of taking them up towards her face for inspection that the other guards flinched and almost drew their tasers before realizing.

She was calm, and yet unnerving them all. "...Your father has arranged an array of clothing, the… case is just under the bed." The female guard spoke softly, watching this intriguing prisoner.

Why was she such a high-priority criminal with what she did?

"Another odd." Natsuki spoke a bit higher this time, starting to explore the cell. The door was slid shut behind her, and she realized that there were only minimal bars on the door. Only a small square just eye-level of three bars, a small space to look out of…

Other than that, she was utterly alone.

Her father had made sure to keep her amenities… Comfortable. She even got to keep and dress in her same style and clothing… Strange. Why would he do that, after what she had done?

Rubbing the markings left behind on her throat from the chains, coal hair was brushed away with a faint hum. She considered the folded blanket and pillow case on the bed, starting to situate her new… Home.

More than anything, she missed the sharp smell of shoe polish; No doubt her brogues and what other pair her father had packed would become scuffed…

**~D~**

The Kruger Manor… All aswarm with reporters, journalists, two-cent paparazzi trying to get a cheap angled shot to sell to the highest bidder. All parasites; Feeding off of the lowest form of entertainment, crimes and victims of them not their worry one bit.

Takeo tutted, activated the shutters and startled several of those blasted bastards away as metal slid over glass. Every door and window locked down and secure, the patriarch of a family no more tried to relax.

It had taken most of the day, and four different companies combined, but all the stains and all the smells were removed from the manor.

But no one could remove the images in the photos he had been shown, nor could they remove the pain that his wife and youngest daughter no doubt suffered just before their brutal murders.

The _fear_ they must have felt… It got his blood hot and his pulse racing just thinking of it.

But… it was over, now. Of course, it wouldn't ever be truly over, but the worst part had passed. All that was coming was the funeral…

As Takeo peered over the area of the main hall where his wife had been bludgeoned, he grit his teeth and gave a shaky hiss of an inhale.

At least Natsuki wouldn't have the opportunity to come to the funeral. She was dead to him just like Nina and Saeko.

**~D~**

Natsuki likened this experienced to a time when she was younger and had taken the world at her feet; Traveling abroad to pursue her passion of art and architecture, she had taken to a place of complete solitude to create what was nothing short of a masterpiece.

It had taken a year in itself in that place, but at her current state, she would have no doubts she could recreate it in her sleep.

Bed made, the fabric was so rough it made her grimace a faint bit. The blanket was at least bearable; The pillow-case she may have to beat into submission.

Currently, she sat on her bed and stared out towards the small barred opening on the door, wondering just how food would be transferred. She wasn't hungry, not at this moment, and certainly not with the faint smell of fire she had caught outside and inside this prison…

It was sketchy, to say the least.

Natsuki stood, moving towards the door yet stopping and pressing her back to the wall just at the left of it; Hands feeling the smooth stone as she hummed softly to herself. The door fixed to the wall at her left, the wall behind her now one smooth surface…

Until she found a small chipped hole, barely bigger than the tip of her pinky and well hidden just inches above the floor. Lowering herself onto her belly, emerald scoped out what secrets lay beyond.

She caught colors; Teal, a sickening pink of scars that wouldn't stop shining, and grey. Startled when she realized it was her neighbor's face, Natsui flinched back but chuckled lowly and returned down; The two prisoners silently studying each other.

"You are a curious one." Natsuki finally spoke after a long moment of studying.

"The same can be said of you." Her neighbor uttered just as quietly, and the coal-haired woman hummed again softly.

"Who made this?"

"The last. Scratched it with fingernails and a belt spoke. She said 'Anything to talk to another living soul'. I told her we no longer have souls."

Natsuki tilted her head, as best she could laying prone, and quirked a thin brow. "Did she go mad after that?"

"Nothing so interesting, just filled quiet spaces with rants and raves. I thought I may go mad before she."

Nodding, she eased off from the scratched portal for a moment to readjust her elbows on the floor.

"I thought you may be mute; You've just been… Silent ever since they put you in." She heard her neighbor speak just barely, and returned down.

"I am quiet." That was the only reply she gave, though she seemed interested enough. "How long have you been down here?"

"Three years, so far. Artai Intensive Security… Sounds more like a hospital sometimes, and it does feel like a mental institution more times than not. At least, until the executions start."

"I am curious about that; I smelled fire outside, and again once coming down the hall for this odd mazed row. Is there any execution that involves fire?" Natsuki pressed closer, desperate for an answer to this odd observation.

"Fire? No… It may have been a fireplace, I know there is one in an office, but it's far. You wouldn't be able to smell it."

"How curious, then…" Natsuki propped her chin on the top of her hand, eying her neighbor's face best she could.

"Do you want to know my name?" She asked after a moment, seeming a bit excited to give information.

"...Just names, for now. No… crimes."

"That suits me just as well. Unless… I assume since we are here, we would both be infamous. Though my infamy is new, so I have nothing to worry of, but I am afraid you might." Natsuki countered, and her neighbor inhaled sharply.

"That is right… Then, here goes anyway. My name is Tomoe Marguerite."

"Well, I hope this is not embarrassing, but I indeed do not know you. Natsuki Kruger."

"That's refreshing." Tomoe grumbled a bit, perhaps a bit sore at the fact of being unknown.

The sound made Natsuki chuckle, and they stayed silent for a few moments more before her neighbor stood.

"I can't be laying down for long, I will make sure to check on you later." Tomoe murmured, stepping away and she was alone once more.

"Odd." Natsuki hummed, standing slowly and stretching.

Solitude always benefited her, as more often than not she would find herself completely in her thoughts, ignoring all else around.

Company was not always appreciated, not with her, and would likely be rejected any further than her neighbor at this point…

Then again, who was to keep her company here? In her cell, on death row, in this gauntlet maze of glossy walls black enough to almost portray a symbolism of death and afterlife itself?

**~D~**

"Hey… So, what happened with that inmate; The one with the botched rushed trial?" Nudging another guard, the woman subtly fixed a button on the front of her blouse. She was glad these new uniforms fit; Another moment of wearing a heavy coat inside this oven of a prison was going to drive her mad…

"Huh? Oh, that Kruger Crow woman?"

"Say again? Kruger… Crow? I can't hardly think that was her name, was it?" A thick brow of persimmon rose, the woman gaining a small grin as she crossed her arms just below her chest.

"Ah, no, that wasn't it…" The other guard let out a noisy exhale through his nose, fixing a ruffled lapel back to stiffness. "What was it… Hey, just turn on the radio, bound to be what everyone's talking about?" He finally gave up, brushing off his thin rubious jacket.

The woman sneered at the color, glad that the jackets were optional. If they had been a color palette above they would be crimson; Which would have gone much better with these walls…

A palette below and they might have been pyrrhous, definitely a prettier dark to seem more professional…

Then again, perhaps the rust-colored jackets were nice in their own way.

Smoothing out atrous slacks as she stood from leaning against the desk, she flicked the radio on and turned to another station as soon as jazz began to filter through.

"...-ziest story I've heard in a long time! A woman, right in the heart of peace and quiet, brutally murdering her own mother and baby sister? Unheard of! This marks the first murder in Artai in almost fifteen years. Our condolences go out to what is left of the Kruger family; As they were a very prestigious family. Natsuki Kruger, who some stations and journalists are starting to refer to as The Kruger Crow, is no doubt on the equivalency of infamy as serial killers-"

She flicked the radio off, a bit stunned; she had known a few details, but not this many…

"A little green under the collar, Mai?" Snapping out of staring, the woman locked eyes and looked away.

"Wow. What would cause someone to just lash out like that…?" Mai whispered softly, shaking her head and fixing a faint rumple of her eburnean blouse; toying with a golden button after.

So unsettling…

**~D~**

Such scum, in her facility? No doubt those damn reporters would be calling soon, trying to scrounge up anyone who may have even seen a glimpse of that damn Kruger girl.

A media nightmare, headache for her and for all the guards having to decline them and check visitor passes for those just trying to get inside…

No doubt the police station was just the same.

A disgusted exhale was uttered, a hand slipping into graying hair from a wrinkled cheek. There were inmates that had done much worse, of course, but none with the certain… _flair_ that this Natsuki seemed to possess.

Charismatic even without words, that heir to a big chunk of Artai would no doubt be in history books someday; Hailed as a misunderstood soul, she could even become the face of a rebellion…

Teeth gritting, she stood, strict uniform of drab alabaster separating her from the others. She controlled this facility, and damned if she was going to let this Kruger be known as anything but a blood-thirsty maniac just like all the others, no matter the flowery words or poetic soul!

"Natsuki Kruger, not a one will hail you as a savior of any sort, I swear on it as the master of this cesspool..."

**~D~**

Virescent eyes opened, three slow blinks taken and not another more for the moment. Breathing slow; even and calm with faint rising of the chest and her shoulders. Pulse controlled, perhaps even a bit more sluggish than most.

An hour had passed, of that she was exactly sure. Each count in her head, beating of her heart, all accounted for. She wondered if Tomoe was back in place, or awake at all. She imagined it was close to nine, perhaps later?

"_...-on't be like that, c'mere, I'm all you've got in this crummy cell."_ Natsui cocked a brow at hearing a playful voice, and she strained to listen more, pressing flush to the cell door and turning her ear to the bars. She couldn't see them, but she heard them better…

"_Chie, don't be so quick, girls don't like that."_ A giggle, a rustle of clothing… Were they about to…?

"Oi. Kruger." Her neighbor's voice took precedence; Natsuki slipping into her earlier position to speak.

"Who are they?" She instantly asked, curious as ever to hear. Her neighbor adjusted herself; Tomoe must have scars other than on her face, the woman clearing her throat softly.

"They're both from Florince. Bank robber duo, left massacres all over. Couldn't walk a step on the sidewalk without some glorified newspaper article about them hitting you in the face." Tomoe whispered, sounding disgruntled.

"Lovers, too. You'll hear them, once in a while, but mostly this set-up makes it hard to hear other inmates." The other woman rolled her eyes, as far as Natsuki could tell, and perhaps gave a shudder.

"Ah…" She wondered if other duos for horrific crimes were roomed together? Natsuki hummed softly, thanking Tomoe before they exchanged other soft chatter.

Thoughts swam in the back of her mind; Just what was Tomoe in for anyway? She didn't know her name, or rather, perhaps didn't remember…

Three years…? Ah, she had been abroad then, in Zipang. No wonder, that country had a penchant for keeping things under lock and key...

"This is a very odd facility." She murmured once a thread of conversation had closed, head propped atop her clasped hands. Her neighbor agreed softly, huffing a breath away from the tiny passage.

"The warden is a very strict woman. Not many have escaped, at least, I don't know of any." Nodding in understanding, Natsuki furrowed thick brows. She could get out, if she wanted to… Couldn't she?

Then again, it wasn't as if she _wanted _to leave, not at all. She wanted to stay inside this odd facility; Learn from it, study it. It would be her new playground…

**~D~**

"Hey, Mai, you've got the maze patrol duty tonight." Picking up a rolled parchment, the other guard almost gave a cheeky grin. "My night off, your turn."

"Oh, come on! I don't want to be in there…" Furrowing thick brows, she griped softly and took the map. "At least they mainly keep to themselves…"

"Just watch out for the _horde of crows_, Oooo…"

"A group of crows is called a _murder_, you idiot!"

"Hah! Fits pretty good, then." He smirked, folding a larger jacket over his arm. "Night Tokiha, don't let the murder murder you."

"Ugh, idiot…" Yamada was a creepy guy. Mai side-eyed him as he left, that little hat atop his head and his odd braid…

She didn't like him much, but so be it. Clutching the map in one hand, Mai tossed on her jacket and cinched it. Patrol on death row with the new inmate… she hoped it would go well.

She had been in the maze a total of five times before. Escorting one, and all other times patrol. It seemed that the glossy walls changed each time, though such a thing was obviously impossible. Still…

Mai sighed, adjusting her belt and easing a flashlight from it. It was far from dark in the maze, but some cells needed their lights replaced; Flickering or dim lights sure to drive them even more insane.

She stalked down the hall towards those double-doors, a growing unease settling in the pit of her stomach and hardening there. She paused a few times, working up her nerve before standing at the precipice of the maze.

Sable opening with a hiss, Mai tilted her head and listening. It was the only door to make such a sound… At least, as far as she knew.

**~D~**

Glancing down at a few documents, Takeo gave a low sigh. Putting his daughter up in that facility, and making sure she could have what little things he packed for her, seemed to take a chunk out of his estate each year…

Of course, he made ten times that the rest of the year, but what have you? It still seemed like a burden, but he would keep it that way. He sat at his desk, where he still found crow feathers about; Under the wood and in books no less.

Trying to relax from this whole ordeal was like trying to stomach a cannonball aflame; Shot directly into the belly without a single flinch and trying not to be split in twain.

A shaky exhale escaped him, and before he knew it, his vision blurred. Tears; Or this headache threatening to explode his skull?

Such an annoyance…

**~D~**

Mai had entered the maze, unfurling the map and trying to memorize it. So many dead ends… Why had they created a holding tank so intricate for the death row inmates? To ensure no escape?

Even _she_ was unsure how to get out, and she had the map; Nevermind that the doors were just at her back…

She couldn't hear anything. That in itself was normal in this maze, but out in the regular holding areas silence was a problem. Here, it was… a side-effect.

The walls were so thick, after all. Cameras in each corner and along the halls, every bit of the maze except the cells were watched. So why did she have to patrol it…?

Huffing, she softly cursed Yamada and strode down the right, following her map.

She flashed the light through the bars on the doors, sometimes greeted with a grunt, others not at all. They were sleeping, too busy reading, or just sitting and staring into space…

"O-oi you two, knock it off!" She covered her face at the sight of the two robbers, hearing a snicker, no doubt from the older woman.

"Hey, we're bored." Chie snickered again as Mai stomped off, burrowing back under the covers with her lover. "Do that thing again, Aoi…"

"Yeesh... " The persimmon-haired woman shuddered, strolling towards the right hand side. "Marguerite, you awake?"

A small huff met her, and she nodded before she paused, pale violet eyes pinned to the last door almost at the corner.

"Hm? Scared of Kruger, Tokiha?" She heard Tomoe almost chuckle, and let her gaze meet the scarred woman's.

"_No_. Not scared…" Mai retorted softly, rolling the map up and tucking it into her belt. "Though… Is she awake?"

"She isn't." The teal-haired prisoner had been sure to cover up the little space of broken wall, a small box of idle things blocking it from being noticed.

"Oh…" She was actually a little disappointed; Having hoped to maybe get a few words out of the inmate.

"Well, I'm your patrol for the night. Anything happens, call for me." Tomoe nodded her understanding and Mai took a faltering step towards the new inmate's door.

She paused just before walking into the door's direct line of sight, pressing her right shoulder into the sable wall just before the door started. She was nervous, far more than she should be.

An inmate was an inmate; Behind steel and stone, and could not hurt her.

...So why was there a wave of unease washing over her; A thick miasma seeming to permeate from the cell. She could skip it, but the sickening curiosity of wanting to know the face behind the name won her over.

A knot twisting itself different ways in her gut, Mai steeled herself to stride those few extra steps and peek in.

The woman was in bed, tucked in almost as if she were a child; Or rather, almost as if she _weren't_ on death row or in prison at all. She seemed at peace, perhaps through some religious experience or her own willpower.

Such sharp angular features… Prominent cheekbones and just the slightly sharpness of her jaw. Mai studied her, curious and more curious. So, this was Natsuki Kruger…

She had no doubt; That permeating feeling was coming from this woman, as if an ongoing struggle was going on behind that calm expression.

Was the calm a facade or the sense of struggle? She couldn't pin her finger on it, nor did she seem too keen to want to.

Mai studied her further, taking into inventory her coal hair. It did seem to have the darkness of the crows, with just the slightest pigment of… Perse? That faintest hint of azure hiding in raven…

It was beautiful.

Mai scrunched her nose, features wrinkling in addition as she stared harder. There wasn't a blemish on her; No defensive wounds from the attack…

Ah, there was something… The marks from the chains that they had supposedly bound her with. Now, she knew that the inmate was fully cooperative, so, why bind her…?

Her fellow guards had teased that it was a metaphor; _A fucking metaphor_. Securing the beast, caging the bird, and other unnerving comments.

A beast? Perhaps. A bird…? Like of a crow? Details were only so explaining, and she had the strong urge to wait in this exact spot until this inmate awoke. She had questions, and more were starting to spring up from staring alone.

It was silly, really; It wasn't her job to bug and perform a pseudo-interview on these inmates… But this woman really drew her in; She had to know more.

**~D~**

"No, I will not be speaking with any source of journalism. Reporters and anyone with a press pass will be turned away at the gates. I will not have you turning this animal into anything but." The withering woman soundly slammed the phone back into the receiver, giving a grimace as she stood once more.

"Such flies, the press… Circling overhead on decay; Feeding off of every tragic event and the people who caused them…" She grumbled to herself, furrowing thin brows. She would deal with them personally…

**~D~**

"Ah- The old broad hung up on me." Chewing a toothpick, the man behind a desk layered with news articles and clocks of various time-zones huffed, toying with his phone. He hung it up, leaning back in his chair and giving a few taps of a shined shoe against a cinerious wooden floor.

"Okay, new plan." Taking the toothpick between his fingers, he stood up and addressed his employees before him. They sat in folding chairs, each holding some form of notebook and writing utensil, and all attention on him.

"Here's the issue, point blank; We're getting into that prison. No ifs, ands, or buts. Now the problem… is how? I mean, that warden lady ain't gonna break, and we certainly ain't either, right? So… something's gotta give a little."

He stared, the reporters staring back. "Well, come on, gimme ideas!" He stomped, startling more than a few as they tried to scramble a response.

"Ah…" One stammered, the man clearing his throat. "What if we sent in a whole group?"

The man in charge made a loud noise, imitating a buzzer no doubt, and hawked on the rest of them. "Come on, this could be a real big thing! We could be the first to even get in there after her!"

A woman looked up, brushing back pale-cornflower hair and humming lowly. "What if… One of us impersonates a psychologist; Perhaps fake an experiment of study for this case?"

Several glanced at her, most gawking with jaws unhinged. Her boss was one of the latter, and he slowly rose his hands and began to clap, startling a few more of them.

"Brilliant… Completely fuckin' brilliant! If we can get it just right, no way they would refuse…"

He rubbed his hands together; fingertips bruised and chartreuse from something other than cigarette smoke...

"But who could do it…?" He set eyes onto them all, before huffing and shaking his head. "No one on this floor, that's for sure…

**~D~**

Mai waited and waited still, having gone a few more of her rounds before she inevitably ended back up in front of Natsuki's cell. She had heard far more interesting stories of killers, but… this one was different.

She didn't even know all the details and yet here she was; hooked.

The inmate was still sleeping, and she had half a mind to start banging her flashlight on the bars to wake her…

But that would without a doubt end bad.

"Marguerite, what's she like?" She retreated towards the scarred woman's cell, and a teal brow quirked.

"How would I know? Quiet, at least I think so. Can't really hear well with these walls." Tomoe lied smoothly, looking away from the door with an attitude of irritation.

"Ah, right…" The permission-haired guard stepped away, tinkering with her flashlight between both hands. That had been a dumb question...

"She seemed… Amused at hearing Chie and Aoi, though." Tomoe gave a little bit, not wanting the sensitive guard upset; Not at her, at the very least.

"Amused? Heh." Mai chuckled softly to herself, trying to imagine the inmate's expression. Those thin dark brows creasing together and that pale mouth forming a smile, perhaps crooked or even a smirk?

What was she _doing_? It was almost as if she were infatuated with Natsuki! But she wasn't, dare not be because there wouldn't be a damn thing she could do about it if she were!

Never would they touch nor anything beyond exchanging words whenever she was on patrol duty…

Which was almost never in and of itself!

There was simply no chance of her being… infatuated by this inmate. She couldn't afford it.

Mai sighed, turning back towards the last cell and peeking in.

Staring back at her were a pair of almost glowing celadon eyes; The gaze enough to force her back from the door; the startled woman clutching at her chest with a breath caught in her throat as if the inmate's very hand were around her throat itself.

"_Shit_!" Mai cursed; Natsuki watching her with an expression of amusement.

Mai had been right the second time, she had a smirk…

"You scared me." The guard admitted, taking a step or two closer back to the door.

"I can see that…" Natsuki snickered softly, lifting a hand to smooth the pad of her thumb over thin brows; Seemingly to comb them down and shape them with her thumb alone.

"You have been… watching me for about an hour, now, hm? I figured you would not not staring until I at least spoke to you…"

Mai's face filled with color, and she choked back a frustrated groan.

How embarrassing…

**~D~**

Toying with his toothpick, the editor-in-chief ground his teeth as he tried to think of who under the studio's roof could do the job. Half weren't even smart enough to differentiate psychologist from psychiatrist…

He would do it himself, but his face was too common; The guards or the warden would catch him right away!

"Ugh." He sneered down at his papers; None of these would do! Scattering them around his office with a sweep of a thick arm, he collapsed in his chair; defeated.

This was the single most frustrating thing that was plaguing him; He needed that interview; Any interview! Even if all Kruger did was spit at their feet…

Sinking down in his chair, the man sighed and slouched forward. He stared down at a document; the paper listing one section of the payroll.

"...Wait a minute…" That gave him a fantastic idea!

Jumping up, the man ran off towards one of the other offices. He had just the reporter…

**~D~**

Mai stared at Natsuki, now over her little embarrassing moment. They had stood in silence for a while now; the inmate switching between a smirk, a frown of curiousness, and a neutral expression.

"Did you want to ask me… something? Anything?" Natsuki spoke first, the guard blinking in surprise before she stepped closer.

"Ah… Well, before coming down here, I heard a little… Radio snippet about what you're in here for."

"Oh, did you…?" She seemed nervous, if only that her eyes darted towards the wall separating her cell with Tomoe's. No doubt her neighbor might be listening…

"It wasn't much, but… the gist, I guess." Mai noticed the shifting of emerald, and softly nodded that she understood.

Natsuki didn't seem to want her crimes laid out, not yet at least, so she wouldn't pry… Openly.

"Ah, I'll be bringing you food in a few hours. It's almost lights out." Mai smiled faintly, wanting to study this enigmatic woman more. Natsuki only gave a short nod, but seemed thankful that the guard hadn't begun to ask.

"They're calling you… The Kruger Crow." Mai blurted out; She felt the inmate had at least a right to know.

Thin brows arched, a fairly surprised expression crossing the older woman's face. She softly repeated the name, barely under her breath, with a hint of reverence added to it that made Mai almost question it.

"The Kruger Crow…" A hand rose, stroking her jaw in thought. Natsuki hummed lowly, tilting her head.

"It does seem appropriate." She spoke at last, the response seeming to throw Mai off.

"Appropriate…?" The guard stared, tilting her head as well. How would anything she did seem _appropriate_?

This woman was very… intriguing. Mai gave a smile, nearing the door but keeping a safe distance in case Natsuki became… violent.

"I do have a question, though…" Mai began, thick brows furrowed.

"What is it?" Again, emerald darted towards the sable wall, and the guard tilted her head, lowering her voice.

"What's the deal with the crows…?"

A hard stare was directed her way, and the guard found herself regretting the question. Had she struck a nerve? Was it something… private? Religious, even? She was starting to worry before Natsuki's face smoothed out and the inmate chuckled lowly.

"A feather from a crow can symbolize quite a lot in the right hands… For me, it was… a release."

"A release?" Mai repeated, confused. "What from?"

Natsuki gave a small grin, shaking her head. "A release from the past…"

**~D~**

Running down the hall and bursting into one of the various offices, the man tried to catch his breath at the same time he tried to shout his idea at the reporter behind the desk. Papers had scattered and some were still currently flying and floating about from the sudden startle of the door flying open, and he was met with an angry and unimpressed stare.

"You - psycho -!"

"Well, that is fairly rude. I do not take to Ishigami's office and call him a drunk, do I?" The woman quirked a brow, and the editor-in-chief shook his head while trying to catch his breath.

"No, no!" He finally regained his breath, stealing a bottle of water and downing it much to the woman's disdain.

"Ishigami's office is not even that far from mine…"

"I need you! This whole studio needs you!" He finally blurted out, standing straight and giving a heavy exhale.

"We need that Kruger story, and you are by far the only one smart enough to impersonate - get this - a psychologist! We forge your papers, get you in there for an interview and skedaddle!"

"...No." Her answer stunned him; Ishigami staring at her with a slack jaw.

"N-no…? No?!"

"...No?" She tried a different inflection, standing as she began rounding up her papers. Stupid man…

"V-Viola, we really need this! No one can get in, and we have a solid plan, and your family is a bit known for delving into that-"

"Ishigami, whatever my family is known for, it is of no matter to me. I will not do this." She almost leveled him with a claret glare, the man giving an audible swallow.

"Shizuru… we really need this. Aren't you the least bit interested in the case?"

"To be blunt, and perfectly honest at the same time… Not one bit. A woman went crazy, killed two of her family members, so what? It happens every day…"

"Not this kind of case…! Please, I am begging you!" Ishigami got to his knees, clasped hands pleading her.

Shizuru sighed, pressing a hand to her brow as she set her tidied stack of paperwork back onto her desk. "...Fine. I will go interview her."

**~D~**

**Notes: This was certainly in the making for about... A week, actually. I only actively started working on it for a few days, but the idea of re-writing it has been in my mind.**

**I hope you all enjoy the new Death Row, and please leave some feedback! I appreciate every word.**


	2. Genus Corvus

**Death Row: Redux**

**Genus Corvus**

* * *

Contempt was quite the tricky emotion to contort a facial expression to show. Too much would be disgust; Too little just a festering anger. No, contempt was something quite in the middle and very powerful if portrayed correctly.

The emotion playing on Natsuki's features was just that; Contempt. In her lap she kept a tray securely stable, and on the tray… Would it even be considered food?

Tasteless gravy on white mush that could hardly be described as mashed potatoes… Along with a hunk of meat that looked far too overcooked to even compete with a hockey puck…

"Oh, this is just not going to do." She remarked softly to herself, lifting the frail and far too bendy rubber spoon to her eye. "How would I eat charred meat with this?"

She heard a soft snicker; Verdi immediately going to the spoke-chipped part of the wall; Admiring where glossy became scratched and rough instead of forever smooth and untouched.

Setting the tray away, on the floor as even the grey drab food-holder didn't deserve to rest on her bed, or the small table beside it, Natsuki lowered herself to her belly and spoke. She had to be quiet, as that officer was still patrolling…

"How do you deal with this… food?" Tomoe, to herself, was deemed to at least have taste. Perhaps not on the same level of herself… But taste nonetheless.

"Even in here, I still have… connections." Now, what did she mean by that…?

"How did you round these connections?" Natsuki gave a bit of a grin, tilting her head. "From that daft officer, you must have picked up a few… details of my arrest?"

"A few, so I suppose I can give just as little as I heard." Tomoe hummed softly to herself, easing away from the ruined section of wall to show Natsuki the scars on her face once more.

Ruined skin shone pink; a sign that the wound, however inflicted, did not heal correctly. One ragged one led from under her left eye down towards her chin, slicing over her lips as well. A few others decorated, almost arranged like a bouquet of flowers; The additional scars playing to showcase the largest one.

Alike to a bouquet, they were beautiful in their own way.

"I see… How did you procure these, then?" Natsuki memorized them as best she could; Able to tell, at least, they were not accidental.

"I used to run in a highly-efficient organization. That is all the information I will trust you with at this time." Tomoe responded, an air of disinterest masking her nervousness.

"Understood… Now then, what have your connections wrought in dealing with this… awful food?"

A shift was heard and her neighbor left all sight again, just the faintest hint of glass clinking before all noise ended.

"Move your tray over here."

Curious, Natsuki did as told; Angling the mashed potatoes towards the hole first. "Hm…" She heard Tomoe hum before a sprinkle of black was tossed onto them.

"Pepper?" She was surprised, and even a bit excited now.

"Salt too, if you would like." Tomoe tossed a dash over, and as Natsuki rotated the tray, repeated.

"I do not have much, but I should get more in next week. Makes it bearable, at least."

"I should say it does… Thank you very much." Withdrawing from the floor, she sat at her table once more and began to eat. It had gone a bit cold, but tasted much more her style with the minimal of seasoning.

She wondered if the flaw in an otherwise perfect wall could be widened… And the procured items be passed over if there we more to be shared between them?

Not unless she wanted to risk her nails…

Looking at them, the fine cut of them and just the faint shine made her sigh. The perfect buffed look of them would fade away soon in this place, she supposed.

The meal, just a level above bland now with the minimal salt and pepper, distracted her from all thoughts except for one.

Her impending death date. She had so been looking forward to her birthday as well; And now this just took all the fun out of it.

She finished the white mush on her plate but did not touch the chunk of meat, setting the tray away on the floor once more. That officer would no doubt be back later, with more questions that she had few answers for.

Of course, she had the answers, but jumbled in her mind. She needed time, to herself, to put them to their corresponding questions. Laying in her bed, Natsuki stared upwards toward the ceiling where a light dimmed after sensing no movement.

Perhaps she drifted off to sleep, or just lay in contentment, in wait.

* * *

"Why in the world did I let Ishigami talk me into this…?" It wasn't as if she could stride into the facility and demand to see their latest media spectacle parading around as a psychologist.

In fact, this had to be the man's stupidest idea! Shizuru huffed to herself as she adjusted silver frames; glasses a ruse to just keep out of everyone's attention.

First, she had to forge dozens of legal documents. This was the easy part; All of it already done for her by Ishigami. As she wasn't exactly a frontrunner in the studio, no one knew her name, and thus it stayed the same.

Though, she had enough to stay anonymous, it wasn't exactly her choice. Men ran the gambit at the studio, her stories all got washed to play up one of Ishigami's own more than she could stand.

When he was promoted to take over, she almost lost her temper and bashed his head in with that damned tea-kettle he had bought her to make up for it. Not a teapot, mind you… a kettle.

If he had thought they were the same, he was sorely mistaken. A kettle, all metal and whistling, only boiled the water. A teapot was ceramic and pretty; In which the tea was made in and poured from.

Oh, how livid she was when she had seen that damned cursed kettle…

Ceramic would at least have broken over his head, but the metal would have only been dented and ready to be used again. She should have hit him with it…

As it was presently, she was getting countless photos taken to simulate a span of years; Aging from hair up to down and glasses added to add maturity and years when nothing had changed in seconds, of course.

"Done!" An overenthusiastic man grinned around the lens of his camera, and Shizuru pinned him with a disinterested gaze; Ruby eyes rolling faintly when he winked at her.

"Only took ten minutes. You must be just as fast in other areas." If he had any intentions of asking her to dinner, they were gone. As was his enthusiasm.

"Ah…" The film was taken away by Ishigami to be developed, and the cameraman was ushered away.

Taking a brush, Shizuru ran the bristles through her hair and curled the fringe of bangs just above her brows. Men… How annoying.

"Well, you sure can crush them, can't you?" A voice at her right made her smile faintly, and she gave a very sure nod.

"I can." Shizuru straightened up in the seat haughtily, a feat that made the other woman chuckle lowly.

"I think it's good you're doing this-" "Oh yes, I just love risking my career for Anh to get her kicks." Shizuru interrupted, chuckling as she rose.

"Well, well, someone's got a bite this early." The older woman dryly remarked, and Shizuru rolled her eyes.

"I'm curious about the Kruger case, everyone is. You're the only one with a chance of getting into that facility and getting anywhere near her… Doesn't that excite you?"

"...No." Voice flat, Shizuru crossed her arms and sighed.

"I find killers to be… boring. There is not one exciting element in taking a life, no matter whose life was taken or how it was executed. Everyone should feel the same; Then we would have no more serial killers or cults."

"Well, thank you Professor Viola for you interesting and very bland outlook." Anh blankly stared at her, the younger woman giving a soft smile.

"Doctor Viola, actually… Majoring in cognitive and clinical psychology." Shizuru parroted the line to the elder, and Anh gave another smirk.

"Very good… Looks like your paperwork should be done, soon. It would be best to give a bit of time before you ring up that warden, however. I heard she's one tough cookie…"

* * *

"I refuse." A book from her hand dropped sharply onto her desk, along with her fist atop it as she clutched the receiver of the phone in her free hand.

"A-ah, Miss Graceburt-?"

"I did not stammer nor did I leave room for discussion. I refuse any tabloid studio and I will refuse any seasoned or fresh journalist or reporter. No one is getting into this facility, and no one is going to speak one word to that murderer." Slamming the receiver down, she seethed quietly.

Smoothing down the rust jacket adorning her shoulders, the woman let out a slow breath and inhaled sharply enough to startle a guard posted outside.

"Miss Maria, is everything fine?" He knocked briefly on the frame of the door, the stern woman huffing softly to herself.

Opening the steel barrier, she glared down the long corridor and crossed her arms tightly. "If one more phone call regarding Kruger makes it to my office, and it does not regard a change in her execution date, I will see to it personally that whoever is transferring these calls is paraded about the facility in their underclothes."

The guard's eyes widened, and he sheepishly cleared his throat. "Ah… Yes ma'am. I'll… go tell them." He bowed his head to her and started off down the corridor. "Shit, she is serious."

Glaring after him, the gray-haired woman sighed and unfolded her arms. "What is everyone's interest in that damned murderer?"

* * *

"Do you realise the extreme advantage we will have once we snag that interview?!" Ishigami practically crawled along at her feet, and it disgusted her more than when he was standing.

"Get up." Shizuru backed away a few steps, brushing off at her stockings beneath her long skirt. Top lip curled, she at least sighed in relief once the skeevy man returned to his desk.

"Ah, Viola, you look like a doll! If they made dolls that look like lawyers crossed-over with a doctor… Do they?" The man cocked his head, humming lowly to himself.

"I'm sure some brand has spawned that special brand of evil onto this world." Shizuru dryly replied, crossing her arms after she set her briefcase down.

"Ah, anyway… We need you to call the facility on a burner phone; Can't be traced and the number won't be connected to the station!" Snapping his fingers, Ishigami summoned a lackey with the phone, and handed it over to Shizuru.

"That is actually rather smart. Now, shut up, and let me work." Picking her suitcase up once more, tawny hair was tossed over her shoulder as she retreated to her office.

"Finally… Ugh." Locking the door for good measure, Shizuru splayed the case atop the desk and sat. With a low sigh, she played with the phone for a moment or so before gathering her documents in front of her.

"Alright… Showtime." Taking a breath, she dialed the number and waited.

"Ah, yes, hello. How are you this evening?" Waiting for an answer that she cared nothing for, she cleared her throat.

"This is Doctor Shizuru Viola of the Chaldea Institute. Hm? No, I have no questions about this… Abhorrent case. I wanted to speak to the Warden, would you please transfer me?"

She hated to lie, but she really didn't want to speak about that damned Kruger… It was just her job to.

* * *

"Another call?" Maria glared at the man trying to pass her the phone, the guard shaking faintly.

"A-ah, it's not from a number that matches any studio in the area! She says she's a doctor… And that she didn't have questions about Kruger!"

"...Fine. If this comes to a distasteful conclusion, I will conclude your employment here… Distastefully." The steely woman snatched the receiver away, and the sheepish guard ran off.

Leaning her head towards the side, Maria sighed softly. "Warden Graceburt, Artai Intensive Security. I want your name, occupation, and the reason you are calling." Her voice was steel with a sharp edge, and she heard the woman on the other end shift in discomfort.

That, she reveled.

"Doctor Shizuru Viola, Psychologist at the Chaldea Institute. The reason I am calling, however unfortunately, is in some way related to-"

"I knew it. One way or another, all calls since that damned murderer was caught are linked to her." Maria interrupted, sighing and pinching the bridge of her nose.

"Note to self, fire Smith."

"A-ah-" She had to save this!

"Since you do not seem connected to any journalist studio, at least the number is not, I will give you ten seconds to convince me not to hang up."

"I find zero interest in this case; Natsuki Kruger and the idiotic name thrust upon her have sparked nothing but a distasteful and boring section of newspapers and radio stations."

Surprised with that, Maria narrowed her eyes. "...Keep talking."

Sighing, Shizuru thanked in silence, nodding to herself. 'Telling the truth worked, for once.'

"However, my employers think that there might be something… More to this case. Perhaps a mental illness which led to this break or even repressed memories. Who is to say she even did it?" Shizuru smirked, thinking she had it in a clinch.

"You are… trying to prove the innocence of a madwoman?" Perhaps not.

"Not at all. They want to send me in to study her, find out why she has broken like this. So, that when all your rushed trials get caught up in protesting lines, you will have a reason why."

Maria stared at the wall, cupping her chin with her free hand and humming lowly. That did raise concern; the rushed trial had made Kruger guilty by a landslide…

Even if she did confess, it looked bad on the authorities!

"...Viola, you have got yourself a patient. I will need you to be in before dawn tomorrow, all your paperwork and in my office. We will discuss further there. Goodbye."

Shizuru closed the mobile phone, body trembling and wracked with anxious nerves from both the call and the upcoming visit. Letting out a sharp breath, she calmed herself down and stood.

Striding from her office, where everyone had parked around to listen, she reveled in their silent questioning and the looks on their faces.

"I have our interview." She smirked softly, the whole building erupting in a series of cheers that would put an official game to shame.

Ishigami beamed, proud and close to tears. "Viola, you're going to make a name for yourself yet."

* * *

There was complete silence in her cell, and she cherished it. It was pitch black; Lights having been shut off just a few moments prior.

That woman patrolling had finally left her alone, though Natsuki knew that she was still curious. She would have been surprised if she wasn't, to be honest.

Silence was something Natsuki held dear to her heart. When she had her freedom, if a situation ever got out of hand, she would always slip on a pair of headphones. They had cancelled out all sound, and she would be pleasantly left alone…

Natsuki took a slow inhale, closing her eyes. Sitting up on the side of her bed, she listened to absolutely nothing, and relaxed.

Perhaps a condition or affliction… Either way, it was her, and she liked it.

Raising her hands, cold palms brushed over far too hot cheeks. Why was she suddenly feeling… Restless?

Standing, she cocked her head and moved fluidly towards the small barred window at her door, peeking out. Darkness met her, of course, but she stayed there.

Hands worrying at the bars, Natsuki could feel her breathing become heavier. Trying not to make much noise, she gripped steel tight and pressed her brow to the door.

Why was she feeling this? What was she feeling?

Heartbeat accelerated, lips straining hard against teeth to not curl into a distraught snarl…

She missed something. Someone?

Who?

Natsuki blinked in surprise when she started to cry, and finally broke the silence she so reveled in; Chest heaving as she choked back a sob before letting a whimper escape.

Well, that just would not do.

Throat constricting and silencing all noise, Natsuki tried not to swallow lest she choke herself.

She would not show weakness.

Holding the steel bars tight in her hands, she pulled back until her arms were straining and straight before wrenching herself forwards. Her head smacked the firm door, a crack of something heard before it all went white with a flash of pain.

Hands unable to hold tight to the bars, the dizziness swarming her head caused her knees to have an abrupt meeting with the concrete floor below.

Holding her head, she felt a warm dribble of blood course from her brow and over her nose. Head spinning, Natsuki collapsed onto her back; Falling into unconsciousness quickly.

She would not cry.

* * *

Unwinding from the tense phone call was not as easy as she would have thought. A mug of steaming tea was quickly pushed aside; A layout of the facility taking precedence atop her desk.

She had to bribe quite a filthy man for this…

Shuddering, Shizuru braced a palm at her temple and carefully traced a finger down and around the blueprint. "What in the world… is this?"

Fingertip tapping along a spot, she took a magnifying glass to the tiny writing. "Death row labyrinth…?"

Labyrinth? That was a little… Odd.

Easing the tool away, she leaned back against her plush chair and sighed. Hand abandoning her temple, she rubbed at her eyes; Exhaustion playing across her face as easily as amusement or disgust.

Nursing the mug close, Shizuru took a slow sip that turned into a gulp and finished the entirety of the tea inside. "Whew…"

Setting the mug down, ruby stared at it. She nudged it away from the map, yet was still bothered by it. "Ugh…"

Just the blueprint, and the mug upon her desk and she still felt cluttered. The mug was nudged away until it hit the carpeted floor with a dull thud.

"Oh."

* * *

"...Kruger?" Tomoe peered through the spoked hole in the wall, able to see the other prisoner splayed out. There was dried blood on the floor…

Panicking, the scarred woman stood and pressed against her door, shouting through the barred window. "O-oi! Guard!"

Startled, Mai checked the time before leaning off the wall and trying to find the source of the noise. It was just after dawn… Another fifteen minutes, and she wouldn't have been patrolling.

"Marguerite? Is that you?"

"Something's wrong with Kruger!"

Slowing to a walk by the prisoner's door, Mai was struck with a bad feeling in her gut. This could be a trick…

Cautiously, she peered through the new inmate's window, paling to what she saw. Natsuki wasn't bleeding anymore, but a gash at her brow was enough to draw concern.

"Shoot…" Mai murmured softly, backing off from the door. She grasped a small device at her belt, pressing a button to speak into it.

"This is Officer Tokiha in death row, Kruger's been hurt, we need medical assistance at once."

Static met before her request was replied with affirmity, with the promise of additional guards.

Tomoe eyed her, a little concerned for her neighbor solely for someone to talk to. She hoped they wouldn't see the hole…

Moving a small box over it on her side, the scarred inmate sighed. Hopefully…

Putting the radio back to her belt, Mai peered through the bars again. She couldn't wait for the others to show…

Pulling a small ring of keys, she mulled it over before sticking one into the door to slide it open. Frayed, the persimmon-haired woman strode through without removing the key from the door, the ring quickly falling with a jingle.

Remembering back to her emergency first aid class, Mai knelt by the prisoner's shoulder and pressed two fingers to her throat to try and find a pulse.

She noticed Kruger's nose seemed a bit red, as did her eyelids. Had she been… crying?

Pulse found, Mai counted each beat and timed it on her watch. Twenty-eight within fifteen seconds…?

That was a resting rate of one-hundred and twelve! Far too fast to just be… knocked out? Sleeping?

Mai's brows furrowed, her gaze on the inmate's chest as she watched her breathe.

"Like what you see?"

Springing back and against one of the glossy walls, Mai clutched at her heart in shock. One hand free, it gripped the baton at her belt and drew it shakily.

Natsuki kept her place on the floor, emerald eyes open and scratchy. "Did I startle you?"

"...Y-yes… You did…" Mai slowly regained her composure, exhaling heavily and wiping at her nose subconsciously.

"Forgive me…" The inmate stayed splayed on the floor, raising one hand to inspect her wound.

"W-we've got a medic and more guards on the way… I suggest no sudden moves, or words, like what you just did."

"I agree." Natsuki's lips slowly formed a grin, the cheeky inmate chuckling lowly.

Mai attempted a slow slink to the door, sighing in relief when the prisoner made no attempt to move further. She picked her keys up, clipping them back into position.

Grasping her radio, the guard softly spoke as to not rile up the inmate. "Kruger is awake, please come quickly."

She practically heard the scramble of urgency over the silent radio; Heavy footfalls littering the labyrinthine corridors.

"Please make sure to tell them that I am cooperating… I would hate to get hit while I am already wounded." Natsui pitched softly from her spot on the floor.

"...Kruger is cooperating, peaceful approach favored."

With a mob of guards, and one nurse, heading down the corridor, the fellow inmates inhabiting the labyrinthine row looked after them curiously.

"Wonder what has them all fussy…" One spoke in a low tone, pushing peppered hair from spectacled eyes.

"Sounds like the solitary cells… Perhaps the new blood?" The second occupant of the same cell spoke up, placing a hand upon the older woman's shoulder.

"That… Oh, what did Mai call her? Kruger Corvus?"

"Kruger Crow… Though, corvus does have a better ring to it…" The first woman chuckled lowly, tugging the auburn-haired woman from the door. Giggles were ignored as the guards rushed on.

Mai continued bracing herself against the wall, truly unsure if Natsuki would harm her or not. The inmate remained on the ground, the gash at her brow beginning to pepper with fresh blood from her expression changing from comatose sleep.

"...Medic first." Mai ordered when the guards crowded around the open door.

An older woman strode in, the only medic brought. She seemed not to fear the inmate, kneeling by her side almost immediately. Appraising the gash, she looked back towards the door's upper rung. Just above the barred window, a strap of metal was seen to hold the bars in place, and there across it lay blood.

"Feeling remorse now, Natsuki?" She asked, rubbing a gloved thumb along her own cheek over a beauty mark before opening her kit.

"Not particularly. Perhaps I wanted to see your beautiful face again." Natsuki's tease seemed so out of place, and yet, had a few guards chuckling.

Their shoulders relaxed, and Mai seemed oddly even more perturbed.

"Ah, so that's it, hm?" Tutting, the nurse grasped a bottle of water with a long skinner spout; The device no doubt used to clean blood from wounds.

"That's it." Natsuki's lips curled into a coy smile, eyes closing and being covered with a glove so the water and runoff wouldn't seep past sooty lashes.

"A few stitches, not much more. We could move you to the medical bay-" Yukariko was cut off by a simple wave.

"No, it can be done here. This… cell is almost sterile." Natsuki murmured, the nurse's hand still covering her eyes.

"As you wish." Drying the area with care, Yukariko looked back to Mai and beckoned her over. "Sit her up and brace her as such, please."

"Does she need handcuffs?" A male guard chirped in, a shake of the nurse's head quickly after.

"If Natsuki lashes out, I can take her."

The guards exchanged a few glances but returned dutiful eyes onto the inmate.

Natsuki was pushed to sit up, Mai on one knee at her side bracing her. The gash bled faintly; One line drizzling down in a sluggish pace.

The female guard made a face, but the blood was cleanly wiped away before Yukariko dabbed a numbing agent around the wound.

"This may still hurt…" The nurse spoke softly, readying a needle between her forefinger and thumb.

"It may." Natsuki responded, eyes still closed as not to disrupt the process.

Mai couldn't look, violet darting away towards the glossy wall. Yet… she heard every pass the needle made through skin.

Shuddering, the persimmon-haired woman kept the inmate braced until Yukariko spoke next.

"All done." She had even placed a bandage over the stitches, and Natsuki's eyes finally opened. Emerald was bloodshot, the skin around them flush and a little scratchy.

It was no secret she must have been crying, though no further mention was made and no explanation offered.

"Try not to do this again, Natsuki. Next time will earn you a suicide watch." The stained metal which the inmate had struck her skull against was cleaned with a few hard swipes of a damp cloth.

"I will be sure not to." The inmate gave a small sigh, as though tired already. Floor being cleaned as well, Natsuki slowly watched the guards around her.

This was fun…

* * *

Once dawn had struck upon the facility, a town-car bustled its way through the gates. As promised, Shizuru and her briefcase full of fake and real documents were accepted into the parking garage.

"This is it, Viola…" Adjusting silver frames, she took a deep breath. As she exhaled, her facial structure contoured into a cold and professional facade. What was that burning smell…?

A few guards were idling by the lift, watching her. They talked quietly amongst themselves and their earpieces in the faint darkness of the garage.

Soundlessly, the journalist grasped her briefcase and slid from the driver's seat. She had a lanyard with a phony badge laying at her chest, the guard's eyes flicking down to it as she approached.

At least, she hoped that was what they were ogling…

"Warden Graceburt has invited me. Doctor Viola?" She spoke smoothly, adjusting the grey pencil skirt adorning her waist and much of her legs.

"Top floor." One of the men nodded to her, opening the lift's doors with a push of a button. With a nod, she stepped in on modest heels and turned to face the garage.

The metal shut around her, and the lift slowly began to ascend. This made her all the more nervous...

That smell of fire, earlier - Should she ask if they had a crematorium on site? That felt… rude, though entirely plausible. Yet… there was something more.

Adjusting her spectacles, Shizuru took the time to use the shining metal of the doors in front of her to examine her appearance. Tawny hair had been put up in an especially complicated bun; Loose locks that did hang down were planned, every strand where it was meant to be.

As the seconds ticked by, Shizuru slid a small compact mirror from her purse. Popping it open, she admired herself and fixed what little flaws she saw.

Of course, she had made sure to apply her makeup sparingly…

Ruby tracing over her own face through the mirror, Shizuru closed the mirror and slid it back into her skirt pocket. There was a microphone laced within it, and a backup looped into the fabric of her collar.

Speaking of her collar, she was starting to become a little hot under hers; Nerves running a bit high before she steeled herself. Taking a slow breath, Shizuru cleared her throat and waited.

Finally, the lift arrived at the top floor with a metal ding to alert the nearby guards. As the doors slid open, two more men met her along with a woman far too young to be the warden.

"Doctor Viola, I presume?" The other woman spoke, tilting her head as Shizuru stepped from the lift and onto impeccable cream flooring.

"You would be right." The journalist smiled, tapping the badge hanging close to her chest.

"Good… You won't be searched, as you will most likely not be allowed anywhere near the prisoners today." The other woman spoke, turning quick on her heels to lead her away.

"A shame, that." Shizuru inwardly grumbled, worried now. "And your name?"

"How rude of me not to offer." The leading woman spoke, though did not seem keen on rectifying that until they reached a solitary room at the hall.

"Rosalie Claudel." The woman finally offered over, her uniform matching the guards in color but not in style; instead of slacks, a smart skirt adorned her legs.

Shizuru hummed softly, noting that this blonde woman must not see to the prisoners either. A notary; or perhaps the warden's assistant?

"Is this where I am meeting Miss Graceburt?" She asked, eyes scanning over the blonde woman. Skepticism playing on her features, she tilted her head for an answer.

"Of course not." Rosalie kept that damned faint smile on her face. The journalist fought an urge to strike her, and instead returned the smile.

"Forgive my silly question, then." Why had she brought her down the hall and here, then? Frustrated, she was looked over a few times by Rosalie.

"I just need you to sign a few forms. Waivers, truly. In case of a lockdown, and you are taken hostage, killed, or otherwise."

"...Otherwise?"

"Raped."

"How efficient." If Shizuru was stunned, she hid it well. With a flourish of ink across a dotted line, her signatures were all placed.

"Now then… Follow me." Rosalie smiled again, leading her from the room.

The top floor was a bit more complicated than originally thought; Hallways and corridors, some with no doors at all, even. As if they only served purpose to make this facility larger than need be…

Another surge of a shiver bolted her spine, but Shizuru again hid it. She was beginning to dislike this place more than previously…

Silver metal seemed to melt into sable gloss; The journalist realizing they had crossed into a different section of the facility completely.

Behind a set of electronic doors lay their destination, or so Rosalie's body language spoke. The blonde stood straighter as she walked, confidence in her stride.

Or, it was until another woman bumped into her and sent the blonde sprawling against the wall.

Lifting a hand to cover her mouth and suppress a well-earned chuckle, Shizuru cleared her throat. The officer hurriedly helped Rosalie back onto her feet, apologizing profusely with a flush.

"I am so sorry, Miss Claudel, I just… got back from patrol duty in the Labyrinth." Persimmon brows were furrowed, and violet eyes scanned the journalist's way.

"Ah…" Unsure if she should speak of what exactly had unnerved her, Mai decided to keep quiet.

"It is… quite alright." Rosalie fixed her skirt with a small huff, eyes narrowing.

"They had you patrol death row?"

Interested now, Shizuru stepped closer and held her files just a bit tighter. "Your death row is a labyrinth?" She interrupted, a fine brow quirked.

"I… Well, I'm off my shift now, I should really get home." The guard nodded to them both, passing with a faint tension.

"How interesting." Shizuru spoke back to Rosalie, the blonde's eyes still narrowed.

"Architecture. What will they think of next?" Blue eyes almost rolling, they snapped wide open when a grave voice spoke from behind.

"Miss Claudel?"

"Ah, Miss Graceburt… Sorry for the tardiness." Rosalie slowly turned to face the elder, and Shizuru hid another smirk.

Attention on the warden, the journalist readjusted silver frames and cleared her throat.

"Introductions in my office." The elder woman stared Rosalie down until the blonde turned heel and left. Amused, Shizuru bowed her head and followed the warden.

Only once the door had closed and locked did the elder address her; Maria appraising her with wizened forest.

"Warden Maria Graceburt." She spoke, extending a hand for the journalist.

"Doctor Shizuru Viola. I must say, your facility sure holds limitless surprise." Shaking the elder's hand, she was led to sit at her desk. "It is certainly… unique." Shizuru added, easing her briefcase to lay flat on her lap.

"Unique." Maria echoed, hands crossed over one another atop her desk. She stared the younger woman down, expecting her to squirm or speak again.

Shizuru did neither, waiting for the warden to speak once more. Patience… Definitely a trait of what she seemed to be trying to represent.

Maria was not convinced, not yet…

"Doctor Viola, you say you have more interest in making sure Kruger stays in this facility, on death row, than in her actual case?"

"Correct. The rushed trial, her father present there as well? The word 'guilty' barely left the judge's mouth before she was rushed off. It looks bad." Shizuru explained, hands clasped over the case in her lap.

"Simply, I will listen and prove that this woman indeed knew what she was doing at the time, so an insanity plea will not get her out."

Maria narrowed her eyes, a twitch between her brows a sign that she was doing well so far.

"How long do you presume this might take, exactly?"

"Truthfully, it depends on the subject." Shizuru began, unclasping her hands to open her briefcase. With dual clicks, she eased the top up and slid out her papers towards the warden.

"As stated over the phone, my employers at Chaldea Institute feel there is more to this case than was let on." Shizuru tapped the papers once and closed the case, setting it by her chair.

Maria inhaled sharply, briefly reading through the first piece of credentials. "Doctor Shizuru Viola; major of cognitive and clinical psychology… Yes, exactly as stated."

A moment passed between the two of them in silence; The elder reading over all the paper presented.

"...It will not be long before questions arise. I want answers before they are even asked, are we clear?"

A smile spread across Shizuru's lips, though she sobered it into a more restrained version. "Crystal."

* * *

Fingertips danced over the rough gauze applied to the gash at her brow, the stitches beneath itching just enough to irritate her. She knew not to scratch, and yet…

No, that would cause more blood. More fuss, no doubt as well.

Natsuki patted gently instead to rid of the itching, lowering her hand once it had faded. The door and floor had been cleaned of her blood, and an extra sugary breakfast had been sent up.

Juicebox in her free hand, she lifted the straw to her lips and sipped. Apple juice? Shrugging, the prisoner laid back in her cot and hummed. "Not that bad, actually."

Lazily, she sipped until the juicebox was empty but kept it either way, playing with the plastic straw. A guard knocked on the door, expecting the tray and little drink back.

"Suppose I cannot keep it." Natsuki sighed, easing her trash onto the tray and passing it back through the slot.

"Why would you want to keep it?" The woman questioned, confusion playing across her face. At least, as much of it as the inmate could see from the obscured vision through the bars…

"Semblance of normality… Mostly, I like juice boxes. Thank you for bringing me one." Natsuki leaned into the door, wanting to see more of this woman.

"W-well, you don't really need to thank me. You lost a lot of blood, so the doctor suggested something with more sugar…"

"Suggested something. You picked out the juice. Good eye." Emerald winked through sable bars, and Natsuki enjoyed the flush she received.

"Ah, you're a charmer… You would be in great trouble if you were out of that cell." The woman smirked, though obviously was quite submissive to the prisoner's glance.

"Maybe you could help me with that…?" Natsuki smirked, emeralds flashing with a horrid deceit.

She had an idea in mind of who exactly she would see first.

* * *

"Well, miss Viola… Sorry, doctor-" Maria watched for a reaction, only narrowing her eyes when Shizuru seemed to ignore the apparent mishap.

"You do seem the best for this… sensitive assignment." The elder sighed softly, standing to brush herself off.

Shizuru stood as well, adjusting the silver frames settled onto her nose. She had to fix the grooves before they dug more into her skin…

"Thank you, miss Graceburt. I only hope I can get… Kruger to open up." Even saying the name made a bad taste spring in her mouth.

She hoped none of the other reporters hounded her for details after this visit…

Checking the calendar, Maria sighed softly. "You have exactly two years to do so. On her twenty-third birthday, she will be put to death; Whether or not you've proved anything."

Shizuru's eyes widened, the journalist briefly stunned. There wasn't any guarantee she could do this at all, even with the seemingly long time limit…

"Of… Of course, miss Graceburt." She would need to brush up on her thesis…

* * *

Practically slumped over the front desk in absolute boredom, Sergei perked up when his watch began to beep. "Finally…" Silencing it, the blonde man sighed roughly as he was relieved.

"Go on your vacation, Wang. Two weeks, living it up in… Where are you even going?" Yamada quirked a brow as he took over the security console, fiddling with one of the screens.

"To my house. To sleep. Forever." Sergei blankly answered, met with a chuckle.

"So, you arrested that Kruger Crow woman, huh? Man, I would have killed to have been there…"

"Two died to be there."

Yamada snorted, snickering as a fist pounded the desk. "Damn, you are funny!"

"I wasn't making a joke." The blonde man packed a case, sighing softly. "I should have killed her when I had the chance." He grumbled, starting off.

"Yeah, yeah… Broody." Yamada turned back to the security consoles, humming as he surveyed them all.

"Yamada, are you manning the cameras?" A private channel? Securing the earpiece further into the canal to hear better, the man hummed softly.

"I am, Blythe. Is there something you need?" He asked, taking a subtle look around him. The area seemed clear…

"Camera fifty-three is going to need a bit of maintenance… if you catch my drift."

"Ooh… Alright, but I'm definitely going to watch it later. Same agreement as always?" Yamada rubbed his hands eagerly together.

"Money is already wired into your account." The man smirked, shutting down the suggested camera and flagging it for repair.

"Get it, Blythe!"

* * *

"Looks like we'll be able to swing it. You're due for your thirty minutes of freedom, for your shower." Leaning against the door, the guard smirked softly. "Mahya Blythe, at your service."

With a flick of her wrist, the door to Natsuki's cell was unlocked.

Though surprise didn't show on her features, it swam beneath briefly in her veins. That was fairly easy… Natsuki smirked softly, stepping out.

"I will need to cuff you, of course."

"Of course… Thank you, Mahya." Offering her wrists, the prisoner hummed softly as she started to devise her plan fully.

"You know, you've started to gain another name, other than Kruger Crow?"

"Is that right… what is it now?" Natsuki was led forward out of her cell, the door closing as they made way out of the labyrinth.

"Murder. Just that."

"Because a group of crows is called a murder? That's fairly cliche…"

"Did you like Kruger Crow better?" Mahya chuckled softly, leading her to the lift.

"Maybe." Natsuki smirked, standing in the corner of the lift as it began to ascend.

Silence permeated around them, coating them in a thick tension. "Miss Blythe?" Natsuki spoke quietly, looking the guard over.

"In twenty seconds, I am going to push you down. You will stay on the ground, and you will not be hurt."

Mahya quirked a brow, seeming to mull it over. The doors to the lift opened before she could confirm or refuse, and the prisoner rushed her into the wall.

Falling, she missed Natsuki running out of the lift just as the doors closed once more.

"Well… that wasn't supposed to happen…"

* * *

"What is all that ruckus?" Maria scowled deeply, having been planning to escort Shizuru back down to the parking garage.

"It… it seems that, perhaps, somehow-" An officer stammered, afraid of both the warden and the words about to spill from his mouth.

"What?!" Maria growled, grasping his collar to shake the man a bit.

"...Kruger… escaped?"

"She escaped? Lockdown the facility!" The warden ordered, pushing him back out of the room and slamming a button by the door. Shutters slammed down along the windows; Steel clanging tightly.

The door still open, Maria glared at Shizuru as if this were the doctor's fault. "We need to get you out of here, immediately."

"Agreed." The journalist appeared calm, but everything beneath her skin screamed. She was just glad that she had chosen to wear that microphone. Ishigami was going to go crazy over this audio alone…

She hoped he didn't try to kiss her feet again. Ugh.

"I want everyone on that fiend's tail. Guard the lift to the parking garage, we've got to get Doctor Viola out of here…"

"Perhaps I could actually be of some help?" Shizuru quirked a brow, fear raging in her head as the warden glared at her.

"No such thing will you do… Rosalie?"

"Yes, grandm- Ah, miss Graceburt?" The blonde flushed over her misstep, hands clasped in front of her.

"Keep yourself safe in my office. There's a loaded pistol in the drawer if you need it, dear." Maria murmured, stiffening over her granddaughter's slip.

Noting to write that little detail down later, Shizuru was urgently tugged along by Maria. "Lift is too dangerous… She could get in there, we'll use the stairs."

"How exactly could she get into the lift…?" The journalist gripped her briefcase tighter.

"Though this wing isn't connected to the main lift, the ventilation system is."

"Oh." Shizuru seemed even more worried now, but let her calm facade sink back onto her features. "Let's hope she isn't as flexible as she is mad."

* * *

"Lockdown commencing." An automated voice droned in through the corridors as guards filtered their way towards the exits.

It would have been efficient… if she had been trying to escape.

Natsuki chuckled lowly to herself, hiding behind a bare corner and peeking down the way. They had left this hall completely now, but the cameras would still be a problem…

If she were slow, that is.

With one objective in mind, the prisoner quickly slipped down the hall and into an open room.

"W-what the-?!" She knew that voice… Thankfully, she chose the right room.

Natsuki slammed the door shut, chains of her cuffs rattling as she turned to face the man. "Sergei… you definitely should have shot me when you had the chance."

The blonde man scowled, eyes steel and fixated on the prisoner before him. "So, you got out? Doesn't matter… you couldn't possibly escape."

"I don't want to escape. I rather enjoy it here… Except the food. But, that will be fixed." Natsuki took a step closer, and relished the fact that Sergei tried to stand his ground.

"What do you plan on doing, exactly? Holding me hostage and begging for better food?"

"That's extremely juvenile, Sergei…" Natsuki clicked her tongue, and rushed him.

* * *

"Miss Graceburt? We haven't been able to find the prisoner, and a guard is missing as well." Touching the earpiece, Maria sighed roughly.

"Who is missing?"

"...Her arresting officer, Sergei Wang."

"Oh, dear lord…" Maria stilled in the stairwell, looking towards Shizuru. The journalist was holding up well, on the outside anyway.

Would she be safe on these one on one visits with that inmate? Shizuru pondered as she slowly began to regret this decision.

"Keep close to me." The elder warned, and opened a door to exit into a corridor.

Everything was eerily quiet to Shizuru, who noticed there were no cells in this part of the facility. Instead, the smell of fire seemed to strengthen, and she remembered what she had meant to ask.

"Miss Graceburt, excuse the odd question but… Is there a crematorium on site?" Shizuru tilted her head, eyes behind silver frames examining every inch of what she could see. No labels on the doors, no written words at all… Numbers next to the slots in which she could only imagine were doors.

"Crematorium? No." Maria answered briskly, hearing a scuffle once she had paused to check on the situation.

The smell of fire… Was she just imagining it?

Bright eyes narrowing on a door, she gestured the journalist behind her and drew out a snub-nosed pistol. "Stay behind me, dear." Approaching the door, Maria cocked the small pistol and flung the door open.

The stench of blood hit them both immediately; Shizuru balking to the metallic edge that seemed to invade past her lips. It was so potent, she could taste it…

A squelch was heard, turning the journalist's stomach, the two rounding a locker to lay eyes on the gruesome sight before them.

Cuffs covered in blood, as well as her hands, Natsuki's gaze was soon diverted from a bloody wall to the two. "Oh, warden… A pleasure to meet you." The inmate grinned, a bit of blood speckled along her jaw.

Shizuru kept her eyes pinned to the wall splattered with the identical color, lips parting in horror. On the wall was a rendition of what she could only assume was supposed to be a starry night…

Of course, blood dripped and didn't quite do it justice… Shizuru shook herself out of those thoughts, shuddering. Gaze falling to the artist, rather inmate, she smoldered a glare.

Sergei lay dead, indentation of the chain around his throat. He had either fallen, or Natsuki had done worse, as his head was split open at the temple. The source of the blood…

"Kruger." Maria spat, aiming the gun at her chest. Tilting her head, the inmate opened her palms in a peaceful gesture.

"No need for such violence, hm?"

The question seemed laughable, and Shizuru was very put off by it. This audio was going to get her such a raise…

Maria glared, glancing quickly at the journalist at her side. "Make that one year." She growled, the door opening with a rush of guards.

"Ah, miss, come with me." Mai had not been able to leave before the lockdown took effect; Persimmon brows furrowed in concern as she escorted Shizuru from the room.

"You… might want to go see someone, like a therapist." The guard advised, no doubt having had a similar experience.

"I think I'll be alright…" Shizuru intoned coldly, inwardly regretting taking this assignment. This facility was slowly becoming much more a burden than she had thought.

Escorted back to the parking garage, and seeing a stunned Rosalie on the way back, Shizuru chuckled lowly to herself. Mai quirked a brow, wondering if she should be worried more about this woman than Kruger.

"Forgive me, but I have seen worse. I'm a doctor, this sort of thing just doesn't seem to faze me any longer." Shizuru lied cooly, shrugging as she was escorted to her car.

That smell of fire invaded her senses again, only seeming to strengthen as she turned towards the lift leading back into the facility. Shizuru stared, thin brows furrowing before she switched her gaze to the guard.

"Do you smell fire?"

Mai stared at her, looking a little disheveled before she seemed to jolt at the question. Straightening up, the guard cleared her throat and looked back to the lift. "I don't, no. You should go… I'm sure Miss Graceburt will be in touch with you when details of your first visit are to be known."

Narrowing her eyes, it was clear the journalist didn't quite believe her. "Alright… Have a good evening, officer." Shizuru was helped into her car, settling the briefcase into her passenger seat once more.

Ishigami was going to have a heart attack at this audio… Especially from Natsuki's voice.

* * *

Keeping the inmate at gunpoint until she was once again restrained, Maria huffed and holstered the small pistol. "Looks like Sergei never returned from his vacation." Natsuki's lips slightly twitched into a smile that didn't last.

"Count yourself lucky." Maria spoke down to her, eyes on the mess of the wall and then Natsuki. "Clean her up, then put her in isolation."

"I was not already isolated?" Natsuki spoke once more, tilting her head with a smirk. The gauze along her brow was bleeding again, no doubt from the pressure built up in her head.

"You'll know when you're isolated." Maria coldly spoke, turning her back on the inmate. Speaking lowly towards two free guards, she left the room to no doubt head back up to her office.

"Come on, Kruger… You're in for a real nice time."

* * *

"Lockdown has ended. Keep all prisoners in their cells until inmate _3181523_ is in the isolation chamber." Maria reported from her office, Rosalie at her side. The younger woman seemed startled, a faint tremor visible in her spine.

Maria clicked the intercom off, brows furrowing as she repeated the number once more. "_3181523_…" Grasping a pen and paper, she began to match the numbers to the alphabet.

"Three is C…" She murmured to herself, cracking the pen's tip once she had finished it.

"That damned girl…" Maria growled, startling Rosalie as the younger woman backed up.

"Get me Juliet Zhang."

"Y-yes, miss Graceburt… Right away." Rosalie cleared her throat, marching from the room and off down towards the lift.

Maria glared down at the paper, down to the word mocking her.

_Crow._

* * *

Having been cleaned up and forced into a stark ivory uniform, Natsuki grumbled inwardly at the state of the colorless clothing. Where exactly were they taking her…? As far as she could tell, they were already a floor below death row…

They hadn't taken the lift, however. Stairs upon stairs until their destination seemingly reached, the three guards escorting her spoke lowly between themselves. She wasn't interested in what they had to say, but noticed none of them seemed to be shocked or in any way affected by Sergei being dead…

It was almost concerning.

"Here we are, Kruger. Isolation." The door they had made her face had no handle, and she would have just assumed it to be part of the wall were it not for the card-reader beside it.

A clink of chains alerted her to the fact that her cuffs, both wrist and ankle, were being removed. A little surprised, she could not vocally voice her confusion in time; The door was opened and she was shoved inside.

"Tch… Rude." Door locked behind her, Natsuki regained her balance and looked ahead. Confusion struck her once more, noting this wasn't a room but… A corridor?

Everything was the color of her uniform; Ivory and blank whiteness so strong it was starting to give her a headache coupled with the lighting. She lifted an arm, almost unable to discern the fabric of the sleeve from the wall or the floor.

"What…?" Lowering her arm, she took a step but stumbled when the floor wasn't met with her foot. She fell, bracing herself on uneven hands.

The floor wasn't even… And she couldn't even tell where it dipped or where it rose. There were no grooves, no visual clues…

Just blank.

Natsuki hummed lowly, carefully managing to stand back up. "This just became interesting."

Seemed there was more to Artai Intensive Security than met the eye…

* * *

**AN: I am terribly sorry for the great delay in this, but I was having trouble finishing this chapter out. I have since regained my ability to continue on Death Row, and that updates will be coming quicker than this chapter.**

**Please, read and review to brow-beat me on taking so long!**


	3. Vertigo

**AN: With the difficulty of the past few months, DRR will now be helped along with collabing with TEW. We hope that you will still enjoy it, as it is still the same story with a deeper edge to the psyche. I apologize personally for the lateness, this chapter was very difficult to write.**

**Our other stories will be uploaded in a more normal fashion now that this chapter is done.**

**Enjoy!**

**Death Row: Redux**

**Vertigo**

**by Harmonium-Kruger**

**and Twisted Eternal Wolvetta**

* * *

"Juliet Zhang, how _dare_ you have the gall and cheek to even name that damn inmate _3181523_?" The warden was an inch away from biting into the younger woman's cheek. A disgusted scowl was settling in on her expression, intensifying.

"Uhm…" The woman being pseudo-interrogated leaned to the side to avoid the elder's mouth, clearing her throat. '_Damn it, Nao...' _ She inwardly griped, knowing that _someone_ sure had a little bit of fun…

"Ma'am, with all due respect, I do not assign numbers at random. There is a system, and the fact that the numbers alphabetically spell out 'crow' is just… a happy accident."

"A _terrible accident!"_ Maria barked, yoking the guard up by her collar.

"Y-you could read it differently! Like… three one eight, and not, three eighteen…?"

Maria narrowed her eyes, dropping Juliet back into the chair. The younger fixed her uniform, clearing her throat and mentally making a note to choke out a certain girl.

"Unfortunately, I cannot change her number. The system wouldn't accept it." Juliet spoke once she had fixed her collar, rubbing at her throat.

"Ugh… The next time your _system_ produces such gall, I will personally _shut it down_." Maria lowered her voice for the last few words, a growl following.

"Yes ma'am." Juliet nodded, standing and fixing loose strands of strawberry-wine hair from her bun. Her sister was in _so much trouble_…

* * *

Even after hours and an inward realization of day turning to night, the blinding lights stayed on in this odd corridor. Natsuki tried very hard not to succumb to the sickness rising in her gut, the uneven floor impossible to predict.

There were rooms, but no doors; Filled with nothing but the stark ivory that shone with the unrelenting lights. There was nothing all around, not even a shadow she could use to give her eyes a rest.

Nothing in the rooms, nothing down the hall. Natsuki thought there may have been something once, but there was nothing once more. How long had she been down here, exactly?

Hours, no doubt… Isolated and dressed in a uniform alike to that warden she had seen briefly. Paranoia struck, settling in deep into her mind as the inmate scanned around with narrowed eyes.

If the warden came down here, she might not even notice her in that uniform…

Her only solace was her hair; Coal so dark it erupted from ivory and alabaster around her with a loud screech. Whenever her eyes ached too much, she would take the long strands into one hand and stare into black until the pain ebbed away.

She had always admired her hair, far more than what seemed normal. From the tinge of an azure pigment within coal, to the length and silky feel even through its thickness…

Yes, Natsuki loved her hair. More so now that it seemed the only thing keeping her from turning absolutely mad…

* * *

Shizuru's heart had not stopped racing. Even back in the studio, shut away in her office for isolation of her own, the rapid heartbeat persisted. Ishigami had tried to unlock her door with his key an hour ago, but a rapid line of insults sent him running.

_Why_ had she seen that? How could she have been led to see it? That despicable murderer…

Could she even use that recording now? Her hands shook even still, hours after seeing that crimson painting upon the wall. Now, she could just barely understand the almost immediate cult following of Natsuki Kruger…

* * *

Juliet roamed the halls of the facility, still seething from the earlier scolding. She still couldn't believe Nao had the gall to do that…

Even if it was _hilarious_.

Stifling a smirk as she strode through the main guard's compound, the redhead cocked a brow. "Mayha, seems your almost tryst didn't go so well, hm?" Of course, she had noticed the Mauryan native liked to bribe the camera controllers.

Receiving a scathing glare, Juliet let her smirk show. "There's absolutely no way to pin Sergei's murder on you, since Maria did walk in on Kruger having her fun…" Relief showed in the other woman's eyes.

"But unless you want to be outed as having outed the Crow… Give me the death row patrol for the next week. No questions asked." Now it was anger, then confusion.

"Juliet Zhang… are you trying a weird reverse bribe? Everyone hates patrolling down there." Mayha eyed her up, taking a seat behind the desk to pull up the scheduled patrols.

"I like it down there. Much better than the regular units, at least." A half shrug was given to the older woman, and Juliet drummed her manicured nails along the top of the desk slowly.

"Fine… But Kruger may not be taken out of isolation in the next week-"

"If you think I'm interested in Kruger, you must have gone brain dead. I mean, more than what was necessary for you to even bring her out of her cell…"

"Not a word further, Zhang."

"Of course, Blythe. I'll start my patrol now, thank you so very much." Juliet snickered, shaking her head as she strode off for the wing.

Mayha was an odd one indeed.

* * *

Without her neighbor, Tomoe was utterly bored out of her mind. Pushing the box in front of the spoked wall, the prisoner sat upon her bed. A tray in her lap, even seasonings couldn't bring out the taste of this meal.

Perhaps it wasn't the food, but her mood? She was quickly approaching another bout of depression; Scars on her face starting to sting once more. The pain wasn't real, even she realized this.

Instead, the pain was… phantom; Psychological, not physical. If she was left alone for too long, she swore she could feel the sharp knife cutting into her skin again.

Snapping from her thoughts, Tomoe realized she could hear someone walking along the maze. Listening, she shoved the tray onto a table and sprang towards the door. Was it…?

Juliet rounded the corner, no need of a map as she kept a confident gait. She seemed irritated, and this made Tomoe grin. The expression was muted, barely a ghost of a smile due to the pull of her scars.

The marred, pink skin was an annoyance.

The redheaded guard came to a stop in front of the cell, gazing up to the taller woman through the door. "_Is the pain still bad?"_ She whispered, gaining a nod.

"_I brought your medicine, and a few other things."_ Looking about, Juliet stripped off her jacket and tugged at a seam, a sewn pocket coming out. She passed it through the bars, along with another from the other side.

"_Also brought an ointment for your scars."_ The redhead added, keeping her voice low. The other prisoners of the labyrinth had never ratted them out; From either not knowing or not caring.

Taking the objects slipped through the bars, Tomoe studied them. The white cylinder rattled faintly, though was blank. With absolutely no information upon it, all Tomoe could do was remember they were powerful painkillers.

"_And the anti-depressants?"_ She asked through the bars, shoving the cylinder into her inner-pocket. The pocket was hidden within the underside of fabric, the prisoner having made it herself. Scanning her cell quickly, she looked down to the box which covered the hole. "_Nao got herself into trouble again, didn't she?"_

How did she know? Juliet frowned.

"_More like she got me into trouble. She made Kruger's prison number alphabetically spell out 'Crow'."_ The redhead seethed again, patting herself down. She slipped a small drawstring bag from another pocket, passing it over quickly.

"_Don't be surprised if next time you see her, she's got a shiner."_ Juliet chuckled softly, shaking her head. "_Bloody warden gave me all but a boot. There, your anti-depressants. We've got patrol for the whole week, so you don't have to be so hurried."_

"_My. Surely you know upright violence solves nothing?"_ Teal eyebrows arched, hooking a finger around the string. "_Discreetly knock her out, make her paranoid."_ Tomoe snickered, taking the bag from Juliet.

Slipping this bag into another inner-pocket for the time being, Tomoe scoffed. "_Also, tell the others to hurry their asses up. The deadline is quickly approaching, you know the drill."_ Drifting further into her cell, Tomoe slid her foot under her bed. "_A 8mm to the forehead."_

"_I've added another week to it, just in case."_ Juliet assured, looking around again. "_Marguerite… Are you ready to know just why Kruger is down here yet? You said she didn't know you."_

Though how that was possible, she had no idea. Then again, with what she had heard about the woman, she was… odd. Unsettling, and just very strange. Almost as if they did not operate on the same plane of existence; Reality itself twisted to Kruger's liking.

Pulling out a box from under her bed by her mere foot, Tomoe paused.

Certainly there was something interesting about Kruger. What precisely it was, she couldn't place her finger upon. Humming, Tomoe removed the contents from within her pockets, and dropped them into the box. "Go for it." She muttered, kicking the box back into the bed.

"She murdered her mother and her little sister." Juliet spoke, clearing her throat softly. "I read the dossier, and it's all anyone can talk about. Radios, television… She's big." The redhead ran a hand through her hair, leaning into the door.

"With stones, she struck down and killed four crows. From their feathers, she made herself and her victim crowns with the bloody things still draining. The photographs are… disturbing." Juliet's voice dwindle down, before she cleared her throat.

"Though she has only killed two, she's gained a cult following befitting a serial killer."

"Family butchering?" Tomoe mused, prowling back up to the door. Resting her back against the wall, beside the box, she angled her head towards Juliet. "That at least explains Nao's little prank." Wetting her lips, Tomoe narrowed her eyes. "Do you have any of the photos?"

"I thought you may ask. I had some copies made." Juliet chuckled, reaching into her jacket. "They're very graphic, so… Well, we've done worse, but still." The redhead sighed, grasping the bundle and offering it through the bars of the door.

It was quiet down here in the labyrinth, even that bank robbing duo was quiet. Chie and Aoi couldn't exactly hear the two of them conversing from their position anyway…

Clearing her throat, Juliet snapped back to the task at hand. "We think we might stage a riot in Kruger's name, as a distraction to get you out."

"Hmm?" Shuffling through the photos, Tomoe paused at a particular one. "How unsightly." Her brows furrowed, scars irritating her skin. "A staged riot would need an… ingredient of sorts."

Violet-steel studied the graphic imagery passively. No feeling filled her stomach, her eyes only absorbing the darkened contrast of colouring. "_Hit to the temple, strangulation?" _Tomoe murmured under her breath, focusing upon the injuries.

Wasn't that overkill? Truly not a clean kill. This was indeed the work of a psychopath.

Fixing her eyes back to Juliet, she was earned with a jump.

"Mm… It was as if she simply went mad. Three days went by before the cops even went it. She cooperated, the trial was… Odd. She took no representation and confessed to everything." Juliet swallowing, looking a little queasy.

She hadn't even met Kruger in person, but she wanted to. "How is she, in here?" Juliet asked, curious. "I've not gotten to make her acquaintance… I may not want to once her isolation is finished, either."

"Seems more like a commoner, perhaps higher middle class." Tomoe muttered, bringing her focus back down onto the photos. "Speaks proper, is polite. Certainly seems like your typical psychopath." Halting, the prisoner put two photos besides one another, two stacks in each hand. "Something's… _off_."

The two photos were unremarkable. Well, except for the body which unceremoniously hung. Squinting her eyes, Tomoe looked into the corner of the kitchen pictured. It was dark, but there was an outline. Yet as her eyes trailed to the other image, there was nothing at all.

The other photo had been taken at a different viewpoint, but nothing was there. "_Ah, corruption." _She smiled. "_Seems there's a little mouse."_

"_What, what is it?" _Juliet leaned into the door to see, frowning. If there was something discreditable about that case… This whole justice system might be tossed. That would certainly be fun to see…

Kruger's trial had been rushed after all, and there was talk. Rumors of her father not being the loving doting family member; Not to mention raised suspicion due to him taking night shifts a day before the events occurred…

Holding the photos by her index, and thumb, Tomoe handed them back. The gesture was awkward, but Juliet's eyes caught the location pointed. "Seems we have ourselves a little snitch act."

Taking the photos back, lime eyes set on the location within the photos. Sure enough, there was definitely something there in one photo, but not in another.

"Juliet." The scarred woman murmured, catching her attention. "Have a copy altered to see what it is better. Once doing so, give those to our pretty journalist, hm?" The elder woman angled her head to look at Juliet, a faint grin tracing her lips.

"I will…" Taking the bundle back, Juliet grasped a needle and sewn it back into her jacket. "Nao will be coming tomorrow. Do you have any requests that she can bring you?" The redhead seemed a little jarred, perhaps from first hand knowledge now of the Kruger Crow.

Humming, Tomoe tilted her head back, resting it against the wall. Lazily, she curled a long strand of teal around a finger. "One thing, though not tomorrow." She uttered. Spinning on her heel, she side-stepped in front of Juliet.

Reaching through the bars abruptly, she dragged the younger woman closer by the tie. The weight of Juliet's body hit against the door, stunning her.

Palms against the door to brace herself, Juliet leaned in with a quirked brow. "_Oh?" _Her lips spread into a faint grin, the redhead peering through the bars to Tomoe.

"Don't get your little ploy ruined, Juliet. You know how much your twin infuriates me." Tomoe muttered, trailing her fingers from the redhead's tie. Instead, those scarred digits ran to up Juliet's neck. Gradually, they rested upon her lips, sliding across them delicately. "Right?" She smiled.

"Right." Juliet smiled in return, lifting a hand to brush against Tomoe's wrist. She pressed a soft kiss against scarred fingers, closing her eyes for a brief moment. "As long as Nao doesn't pull another cheeky prank, we should be fine." She murmured, another kiss pressed to the elder's fingertips.

"I'll be back later." Juliet mumbled, pulling away none too happily. "I should be halfway through the labyrinth by now."

"Of course." That voice filtered through the door.

Eventually, unsticking herself away from the door, Juliet slowly began to walk away. However, Tomoe's low tone reached her ears, making her pause.

"_Also I know it was you who popped those sleeping pills in my drinks last night."_

"_I've no idea what you are talking about." _Juliet softly sung back, though turned and winked. She had to amuse them both somehow, right?

* * *

Was she going insane? Had she already jumped off the edge into that inky abyss? Why were these white walls and floors so disconcerting? Virescent eyes stared down from where the woman had stopped walking; coal hair falling around her face.

Natsuki had been standing in this spot for what felt like hours. She had learned that the floor was not even; It dipped in areas that were hard to realize the pattern of. Just setting her eyes straight ahead was dizzying…

The whole purpose of this room seemed to be driving her off the edge of sanity rather than calming her down… Slowly, Natsuki found a wall and pressed her back against it. Lowering herself to sit on the uneven floor, she closed her eyes.

This room was going to drive her absolutely insane, no doubt about it.

* * *

"Miss Graceburt? I've got the forms for…" Peeking in, Rosalie quieted down. "Well, you know." She murmured, ducking into the office and closing the door behind her.

Maria sat behind her desk, head in one hand as she filled out one document. "I cannot believe what happened." She spoke lowly, tossing the pen down harshly.

Yet it had happened. But that infuriating woman was in the isolation chamber. There was no way of getting out of there. Not physically, and especially not mentally. The Manic Apprehension KEY Isolator was one of Helene's biggest feats.

The M.A.K.I Chamber was certainly going to be used until the end of this prison's lifetime.

"I am just glad you did not have to see that, Rosalie." Maria murmured, accepting the document from the younger woman. She knew the form was just a formality; No one outside of the Artai Intensive Security facility would know that Sergei was killed inside.

If any questions were asked, he must have passed away during his vacation.

* * *

Juliet roamed the labyrinth over and over during her patrol, assessing if anyone needed assistance. That robber duo seemed caught up with each other every time she passed. She began to wonder if it was merely a time tactic, or something more.

Humming lowly, the redhead returned to Marguerite's cell and leaned against the door again. "Dinner is up soon. Would you like anything extra with it?"

"_I don't think anything much would help." _She heard Tomoe mutter from within the cell. Juliet glanced through the bars, and spotted the elder woman sitting upon her bed.

The teal prisoner stared at the plain wall, slowly applying the ointment across facial scarring. This procedure was almost ritualistic in manner, fingertips trailing across the path of old wounds.

The redhead frowned to that, watching her almost methodically for a moment. "_Surely you would like something, though? How about a juice box?" _It sounded childish, but it was actually something coveted in this facility.

Juliet made a face either way, shaking her head. "_Or I'm sure I could have Nao pick up a bottle of your favorite drink?"_

"_I'm just not up for having anything, Juliet." _Tomoe sighed. Her shoulders sagged, her forearms falling into her lap. Looking down to her palms, she frowned, and tightly locked her fingers together.

Depression was beginning to close in on her. It wasn't so much the feeling which affected her, but how much people pestered her. Tomoe knew Juliet meant well, but even so.

"_Mm, alright… If you want anything, let me know, okay?" _Juliet smiled, giving the bars a gentle tap. They definitely needed to get her out of this place. Trinkets and luxuries meant little if you weren't free.

She eased off from the door, turning to begin her patrol once more.

This labyrinth was hell for all of them.

* * *

Shizuru still had not left her office nor accepted anyone into it. She played the tape over and over, earphones tightly in place. The lights were off, crimson eyes closed as she focused. The sound… the awful sound of Sergei's blood painting the wall by that awful woman…!

Then… her voice. Her voice was so odd… Calm, almost seraphic in nature. Kruger's voice did not match her crimes, even if she witnessed one with her own eyes.

"_Shizuru… please come out." _That annoying prying came from behind the blasted door, and angrily, Shizuru's gaze shot to it. "_You have a letter, I swear."_ By Ishigami's tone, it almost sounded like he was on the verge of crying.

Muting the volume of her headphones, the journalist shoved them onto the desk. Forcing them away from herself, her mind unconsciously listened in on Ishigami.

"_It only has your name, nothing else. It doesn't even have a post stamp."_

Why was this moron even describing it? Setting her eyes upon the gap under the door, Shizuru's eyes narrowed. The male's shadow distorted for a moment, the letter being slipped under it.

She was glad she didn't have to open the door… Standing, Shizuru slowly rounded her desk and knelt for the letter. She still hadn't changed her clothes, and could still detect a hint of the smell of fire…

She was at least glad no blood was found on her person.

Snatching the letter up, the journalist checked for anything sketchy. A wire in the opening? But no, it seemed safe. Sitting back at her desk, she laid the envelope down and stared at it once more.

Like Ishigami had said, the letter was utterly blank. There was only the delicate handwriting of her name etched into the paper. Although she had the obvious sense of something being wrong, why did it feel… right?

There was a foul taste inside her stomach. But Shizuru couldn't put her finger on what it was precisely.

Surely it couldn't be connected to her visit to the facility, right? Not so soon, she was sure… But…

Shizuru took a low breath, grasping onto the envelope once more. Opening a drawer, she slid a letter opener from inside. Slicing through the thin material with the edge, she upturned the letter and gently shook it.

Out popped a neatly folded piece of paper. It was of surprisingly good quality too, she noticed. Unfolding it, she paused, only just noticing how thick the paper was. On further inspection, she realised something was within the material itself.

That explained why the paper was so thick…

Reaching into the paper, Shizuru gently pulled out a glossy photo. Upon setting her gaze to it, she shoved it away and stood from her desk.

The… Kruger manor scene? Who would send this to her, and why? Ishigami would be happy with this, but Shizuru was… unnerved. They weren't exactly the highest on the reporting food chain - why her?

Did someone… know?

There was another photo, seemingly of the same scene. Sitting back down, Shizuru cleared her throat and brought them both into the light.

She would definitely need some tea after this.

It was… odd.

Upon both photos, it appeared to be directed at the same location, but by different viewpoints. The second image she had almost appeared… manipulated. A brightness filter. Shizuru wondered?

This photo did indeed seem lighter, with a faintly different colouring. But… suddenly, her eyes directed to the corner. It was sickeningly close to the corpse which hung, and she tried to ignore it.

What was… this?

There was something there in one photo, and the next, it was gone. Slipping a small magnifying glass from the same drawer, Shizuru inspected the first photo heavily. The device was definitely present when the first photo was taken; No sign of manipulation around it.

Taking the glass to the second photo, Shizuru's brows furrowed. In the area the device was in the first photo, there was a distinct hint of covering… Someone obviously did not want the device to be seen.

What was it? She had no idea…

Forcing her eyes back to the letter, a vague realization hit her. Upon the bottom was a golden daisy. It appeared metallic in appearance, shining brightly. This logo… where had she seen it before?

Turning the letter over in her hands, Shizuru let it drop as though it had burned her. Fingers shaking, she furled them inwards into her palms and clenched tight.

The mark of the Hinagiku-

Darting her gaze to the door, Shizuru stood from her desk. If Ishigami had seen… No. The envelope was thick, there was no way he could have seen it.

The man wasn't daft; He knew what this mark stood for and what it meant for Shizuru to have received it. She was lucky Marguerite could be so discreet…

Shakily, she inhaled; Crossing to another section of her office. She needed that tea, and a little something extra. Forgetting of her headphones, her ankle tugged the cord.

"_No need for such violence, hm?"_

Jumping at the sudden burst of noise, the journalist grasped the tape player and shut it off. Her heart thrummed desperately against her ribs; Threatening to break free. That damned inmate's voice, filling her head once again as it had done in the facility…

She needed more than just tea, now.

* * *

Time had a fickle way of passing… Mai was so stunned; the events from the night before playing over in her mind. She still had to work, and would no doubt have to visit the facility doctor…

Other than that, Mai wasn't sure what else she could do. Going into the labyrinth might be a bad idea. But what choice did she have in the matter? In the end, they were all prisoners.

She hated going down into the infirmary… It was, however, strongly suggested she report there first. She had been privy to the scene, after all…

Maria had met her in the guard's wing; Imploring she have another therapy session with their resident doctor. That meant it was an order, before she could patrol anywhere near the labyrinth again.

It wasn't the labyrinth which put her on edge, however. It was more… the prisoners themselves. Ironically, it was the labyrinth in Artai Intensive Security which was the safest zone. Death Row inmates were… quiet- usually.

Shaking her head, persimmon hair was rustled before being smoothed down once more. Mai never liked going down into the underbelly of the facility; The lift only capable of going so far.

Was that odd? Yohko seemed… wary of her privacy being compromised; Going so far to section off the lower levels to her access and the warden's alone. Sure, she was allowed, but only on scheduled days in advance.

Mai had a terrible feeling something was going on, worse than what she already _did _know.

The lift stopped, almost tumbling the distracted guard into the doors. Fixing her rust uniform, the woman took a breath and exhaled. Exiting the mechanism, it was down fleets of stairs next.

The entrance into the lower levels was so frustratingly annoying… It was the oubliette of Artai; A vast trapdoor on the floor before Mai. There were more stairs underneath, and again she wondered why the need for all this extra… secrecy.

Of course the suspicion of corruption was an unspoken topic. Everyone within this facility knew Artai wasn't a saint. Mai had assumed there'd be a little floating about, but to this extent?

Peering down the steep drop, a groan almost slipped from the redhead's lips. There were a good ten flights left before the bottom floor came into view.

Well… She could think on the way, she supposed. Mai lifted the latch higher, easing down a few steps. Turning, the guard lowered the door and let it lock behind her. Immediately, a flood of lights on either side of the steps illuminated the way.

They had surprised her the first time; With a set up like this, Mai had assumed she may need a lantern or a candelabra. Snickering on the memory, the woman gingerly made her way down.

Eventually, time slinked by, and Mai was greeted by a large, heavy door. There was no getting past this without an appointment. You wouldn't even be able to drive a car through this thing.

There were several devices embedded into the wall by the security door. An eye, and fingerprint scanner were via the door's right. Beside these devices, was an intercom with a video feed. Not only this, but a triple locking system was currently active.

Perhaps the doctor's paranoia was near on to an unhealthy obsession? Threading her eyebrows, Mai pressed the intercom into activation.

"_Tokiha?" _Yohko's voice answered after a moment, the display switching itself on. The guard cleared her throat, able to see and be seen.

"Yes, doctor Helene."

"_Here for another session… Ah, you were witness to Kruger's little Van Gogh impersonation? Hmph… Come in." _With a mechanical click, the door opened an inch. Mai was almost unsure; An odd smell seeping from the oubliette's menacing innards.

It was either enter, or be forced to do something far less appealing…

Slipping through the metallic barrier, this structure locked after her automatically. The colour theme of the surrounding metal was a dark azure. This shade illuminated around her; lights were dull in contrast, and intensified the coolness upon Mai's form.

Understandably it was cold down here. The hum of machinery welcomed Mai as she climbed down the last flight of stairs.

"Tokiha, just come around here…" She heard the doctor's voice from the corner, almost as if disembodied. Mai sneered but sobered her expression, slipping past a few unsightly things.

She would assume she would have needed therapy just from seeing this place. Perhaps she even had a session on it, now that she thought about it.

Mai had worked at this facility for _years_. She could barely remember working anywhere else; Except… the diner.

Shaken from her thoughts as the doctor called for her again, Mai finally reached the room. This area looked more alike to a typical office on the surface. There was a desk, computer, filing cabinet, and the like.

Closing the door, Mai breathed a small sigh of relief. It was warm within this room, almost homely. That is if it had _windows_.

Sat within the corner, Yohko was situated within a plush, black chair. It had wheels beneath it, the woman crossing a leg over another.

"...Hello." Mai softly greeted, a little more relaxed. She wondered exactly what the doctor got up to down here; experiments, perhaps? Deciding she would rather not know, she shoved the interest down.

"Take a seat." The older woman gestured to a chair identical to her own, but this one was stationary. She watched the guard closely, as if she could determine the faults in her from vision alone.

Maybe she could. Mai didn't doubt the doctor could. Yohko was… an odd one, to say the least. In a bad way, too. But this was something she shouldn't think on. After all, Helene was going to help her.

Mai took the seat, gently leaning back as she did. Her posture faltered for only a moment; Back straight against the plush of the cushion. It was already unnerving to have ventured down here in the first place…

Getting people better highly depended on a welcoming atmosphere, right…? So why…? Shaking the thought off, Mai sighed, running her fingers through her hair mindlessly.

She had no idea what even to say. What was she supposed to say?

"So, you witnessed our new inmate make a mess of Sergei's corpse?" Yohko cocked a brow, a notepad in her hand. The guard eyed it suspiciously before raising her gaze.

"I did… She was using his blood to paint the wall. But-" Mai cut herself off, furrowing her brow as her gaze returned to the floor.

"But what, Tokiha?"

"It didn't seem like she was aware that it was blood. Or, like it matched what she had done in the manor." Mai finished, looking down to her hands. She rubbed her palms together, though out of the faint chill or nerves, she had no idea.

Mai suspected it was both.

"Many killers have a resilience." Flicking through a few pages of her notebook, Yohko paused. She glanced up to the guard. absorbing Mai's appearance soundlessly.

Tokiha was far too fragile for this career of hers. Yet she had survived for so many years. Yohko was amazed the redhead hadn't resigned.

"As we know, many… murderers never seem to actually believe what they've done is wrong. Or that they have done it at all. One example of this is the Schwartz Shrike." Yohko cleared her throat, crossing her legs loosely.

Mai seemed to tense up, but nodded shortly. She knew what the doctor meant of…

"The Shrike abducted women, scratch that, _girls_. No sexual activity, just crude and symbolic murders. One even draped along the back of a moose, impaled upon its antlers." The doctor continued, watching closely.

"He had said he had done it to keep from killing his own daughter. The girls he murdered looked identical to her. He didn't see anything wrong with it."

"But…" Mai swallowed hard, lifting her gaze to the ceiling. The lights gave off a faint buzz, or was it something else?

"...Kruger knows what she is doing, and that it is wrong."

"That in itself is wrong."

Getting a clueless expression from Mai, the doctor sighed. "A killer is unable to understand whether something is wrong. Either this, or Kruger isn't aware of what she is doing. This is what makes an innocent different from the guilty."

"So you're saying… the fact that Kruger is aware of both spurs an idea that something is… wrong?" Mai tried, receiving a nod. She could see where Yohko was going with this; If she knew the motive, perhaps she could get past the fear.

"I do not use the label 'serial killer' lightly; Kruger doesn't fit the label either way. She had only murdered two people, sans Sergei, but it was the way she did it… Her design, shall we say." She didn't feel the need to go into detail, rather took a moment to write something.

"Kruger made her mother into a marionette; Strung up for her amusement. For her sister, she merely made her a sleeping doll. I suspect this means she cared more for Nina than Saeko."

It made sense, but Mai didn't want to believe it. She had always attempted to keep her distance from prisoners. Each time she ciphered information, she always regretted it. Time, after time, it was always the case.

The longer she stayed here, the worse the crimes became.

Above the water, Kruger's crimes weren't all that spectacular. But once you started floating around, you began to realise its sheer significance. There was something… off-putting about this whole thing.

But nobody could place their finger onto what it was.

"It was a violent crime… But there was no anger. That in itself doesn't mean that Kruger was detached. She was very much present… but not with the personality she has displayed thus far. I will have to examine her soon, after she is released from isolation." Yohko murmured softly, writing something else.

"How do you feel about the experience, Tokiha?"

Mai stared, a little lost. "I… It's a cold fear, I suppose. Breathing on the nape of my neck, like I could be next."

"We will just have to make sure there is no one next."

But there was always the risk. Whether Mai kept her distance or not, it was inevitable her life would be affected. It wasn't her who was personally hated here, the prisoners knew this. But some still lashed out.

Kruger scared her. Because although she had a reason to kill Sergei, there was always the chance that…

A chance of what? That Kruger would come after her? The inmate had had every chance when they were in her cell together…

Natsuki… hadn't seemed cold; Rather playful, even flirtatious. Charming and… calm.

Suddenly, she felt a little… better. Mai released a breath, nodding to Yohko before standing. "Thank you, doctor Helene." The guard offered a faint smile, retreating back for the door.

"Be careful, Tokiha." The elder inclined her head, reading over her notes.

Was there any other way to act inside of this place, Mai wondered? With a sigh, she exited the room and began the long trek back up.

* * *

Why couldn't her sister understand how hilarious it was? Straying along the corridors of the labyrinth, Nao momentarily checked her nails. _Perfection._

Juliet had outright bruised her head! All she had done was change that creep's ID to spell out 'crow'. But oh, no. She had to go and abuse her little sister! Nao would get her back, mark her words, she would.

All she needed to do was figure out what to pull.

"Hallard, Senoh; No canoodling. Do you both want another test down below?" She blankly glanced through the bars of the door, stopping the activity inside.

Of course, they would continue as she stepped further down the corridor; She had no doubt.

Nao smirked to herself, thankful she at least hadn't been the one to receive the warden's wrath. Perhaps her greatest offense would just be laying low… Let Juliet become paranoid.

Snickering, the redheaded guard-in-disguise roamed towards the two last cells. Tomoe in one, and that crow freak in the other. According to Juliet, Kruger was being kept in isolation still… Two days already? A day and a half?

She would no doubt be kept in there for even much longer…

Once that Kruger was out of isolation, she doubted she would hear the end of it. What with the insanity rates brought by that section of the prison. Pushing the thought side, Nao halted by Tomoe's door.

Clanging at a bar with a lone fingernail, she angled her head. "_Oi, Marge, I brought your stuff."_

"_Mmph… Other Zhang." _Tomoe's voice was a bit gruff, no doubt from sleep. "_Tell Juliet to stop putting sleeping pills in my drinks."_

"_You apparently need your sleep now more than ever."_ Nao cocked a brow, eyeing her through the bars. "_That ointment seems to work well with your scars, huh?" _The pink skin looked less shiny, less irritated.

Sitting herself up from the bed, Tomoe closed her eyes again. Rolling the padding of her fingers against her forehead, she grumbled. "_What things? I never asked for anything last night." _Looking towards Nao, Tomoe blinked. This notion only continued briefly, the scarred woman bringing her face into her hands.

"_Juliet said you might want a few more things." _Nao shrugged, taking a patch from inside of her jacket. "_Like… one of your cigarillos, maybe?" _The thin object was offered through the bars, along with one match.

"_A juicebox too, maybe… by that, I mean some wine."_

Rubbing her skin, and eyes, Tomoe paused. Pointedly, she stared at Nao, narrowing her eyes. "_What happened this time?" _She asked within suspicion. Even so, Tomoe's gaze drifted to the items. "_Don't you dare tell me the Hinagiku District ha-"_

"_No, no, everything's fine. Juliet said you were feeling a little down, so I figured I'd do something to lift your spirits." _Nao smirked, waving her hand. She felt the items taken, and retrieved the flask of wine from her pocket. "_The district is fine, thriving in wait for you to return. Return you will, and soon. Perhaps by the end of this month."_

"_This month?" _Tomoe brushed close to the door. She frowned only faintly, cobbling the items together. Thinking, she peered down to these select things. "_So soon? Is the district ready for that? It isn't just me they are pulling out."_

There were others here who would be suitable to join. Even a few guards…

"_We will be ready, yes. Juliet and I can bribe Mayha, we know what she's done… So we three will be on the inside when it starts." _Nao murmured, lime eyes addressing her nails.

"_So… How is living next to the Kruger Crow?"_

Hearing movement within the cell, Nao peered back in after Tomoe. The elder placed the apparent juicebox atop her nightstand, then situated herself back at the door. "_Quiet. Rarely speaks if spoken to." _

Carefully lighting the match, Tomoe had no worry of alarm being raised. After all, this pitiful place didn't even have fire alarms in the cells. It was so corrupt, it almost made her look innocent.

"_She is a… strange one." _Tomoe continued, lighting the cigarillo, she instantly inhaled the smoke, then leant back against the wall.

"_So I've heard… So much radio talk, no one had even been able to snag a photo of her before she was locked up. I found one from a year ago, she was an heiress after all." _Nao reached into her pocket, offering over the dulled photo.

"_That company that her mother founded is loaded…"_

Tomoe was surprised she hadn't heard the company. "_What's the name of it?" _Tomoe murmured, wisps of smoke escaping her lips. She sighed, wishing she had more of these cigarillos.

Though once breaking out, there'd be so many things she could finally do again.

"_Shockingly, Kruger Industries." _Nao snickered, leaning into the door. "_Apparently they've got their name on a lot of medical and military items." _The redhead muttered, furrowing her brow.

"_It was founded just decades ago, but it's bought out almost every other company like it."_

This sounded like a company the Hinagiku District could get their hands on… Musing upon the fact, Tomoe tilted her head towards the door. "_By the way. Did the letter reach our journalist?" _

They were always careful with their letters. But that particular studio was… Shaking off the thought, Tomoe took another drag from the cigarillo. It helped to relax her nerves, but only just.

"_It did. I am sure she was a little.. startled. No doubt she can put together those clues, however." _Nao grinned softly, crossing her arms low over her chest. Now that she thought on it, who would be taking over that company?

It had to be Natsuki; the father of the inmate was only on the police force, he couldn't be expected to make decisions…

But… hm. "_Say." _Nao piped, catching her leader's attention from smoking. "_How stable is Crow?"_

"_As insane as you, or me, it seems. She is calm… Doesn't seem prone to do what she did." _Tomoe murmured, relishing in the taste of the smoke.

Tomoe suspected she knew what Nao was about to suggest. But seriously? Was Nao really suggesting they'd take in Kruger?

"_She would be a big help." _Nao watched her, humming lowly. "_However… I think a bit more time getting to know her would be crucial." _She shrugged, rubbing her nails against the material of her rust jacket.

That much was obvious. Tomoe took another drag of her cigarillo; Smoke exhaling from her mouth only to be drawn back in through her nose. Nao sneered at the trick, turning away briefly.

"_Still gets you everytime." _Tomoe teased, snickering under her breath. "_You are far too squeamish, compared to your sister."_

"_Don't relate me to my sister."_

"_To think, a twin who dislikes being compared to her sister."_

"_It is a common thing to hate your sibling. It doesn't matter if they're your twin." _Huffing, Nao peered back into the cell.

"_Surely you don't hate Juliet…?" _Tomoe was done smoking, unfortunately, and passed the remains of it back. Nao tucked it into a pocket, humming.

"_I suppose not… but still. It is quite annoying."_

"_Of course, of course." _Straightening up, Tomoe faced her. Stretching an arm through the bars, she patted the redhead's cheek. "_Kiss your sister for me." _Sniggering, Tomoe pulled her hand away before it was pawed at alike to a cat.

"_Gross." _Nao huffed, turning away from the door. "_I'll let her know to bring another cigarillo now and again." _She hummed, striding back to her patrol.

With that Kruger on their side, she wondered if the turnout would be favorable for the district.

* * *

She did not think she could last in this area much longer. Blinding lights kept her from having any rest; The isolation chamber maddening by the second. She had long ago found a divot in the floor and sat, trying to make sense.

Natsuki lifted her hands, placing them tight over her ears. The sound of nothing grew to be too loud even still. Eyes shut, and she tried to picture an escape.

If that wasn't bad enough, her forehead itched. The white fabric of bandages irritated her pale skin, disturbing her further. She didn't pull it away however, lest she have more vertigo to contend with.

Bring her knees close to her chest, she locked her arms atop them. She sure would adore the next person to bring her out this hellhole. At this point she didn't care who it was.

Pressing her eyes to her arms, she sighed, closing them. It was darker, but still she found discomfort.

Slowly, Natsuki lowered her hands from her ears. Her eyes were slow to open; the piercing white of the entire chamber making her dizzy instantly.

"I very much detest this." She spoke; her voice echoing slightly. It was the first time she had uttered a word since being put down here…

Focusing on the dark coal of her hair, Natsuki closed her eyes again, The dizzying feeling was getting worse… Maybe she should lie down? Or would the unbalanced floor make her worse?

Ah, what a predicament. What even was this feeling?

Slouching downwards, she lay herself onto her side. Scooting herself around, she turned so she faced the wall. It wouldn't make much of a distance, but she sure needed it.

Her head felt hot to the touch; Fever? Infection from the gash on her brow? Natsuki was unsure, maybe it was just that everything else was so cold…

The creaking of a door jarred her; startling the inmate so fiercely she almost clawed up the wall. Was someone coming down to fetch her…?

"Kruger? In a ball on the floor, really? Well, that's not very interesting." The voice was unfamiliar.

Looking upwards, Natsuki hissed, wincing as she was met with yet more white. This woman - doctor, whoever she was. She had a _white labcoat on! _Sitting herself up, Natsuki's eyes instantly zoomed onto the colour the doctor wore; absorbing the different variations in quickly.

At last… colour.

"Stand up. I have doubt that you will hurt me, but I can cuff you either way." Yohko warned, having the silver shackles in her hands. The inmate eyed her, a little confused.

"You are… retrieving me, then?" Natsuki slowly obeyed, lifting from the odd floor. Her back was already sore…

"I am." The elder woman slipped the cuffs onto the inmate's wrists without trouble, capturing her shoulder briefly. "Do you have a fever?"

"I may." Natsuki's eyes roamed about the area one last time, happy to be free of it. "You must be the resident… scientist?"

"Doctor Helene." Yohko murmured, escorting the younger woman out of the isolation chamber.

Brought out from the large room, Natsuki senses immediately stunned her. Overloaded by the unique array of colour, she halted, forcing the doctor to do so also. There was so much grey, and black within this corridor; she had forgotten all about it…

"Kruger-" "I apologize… That chamber is daunting." Natsuki forced herself to interrupt, and continue walking. She had terribly missed the ebony gloss of these walls…

"I am taking you to my laboratory, my office." Yohko warned, leading her down an empty corridor. There was a stairwell, looking worn and wrought with iron for its winding rail.

It looked far too old for a facility supposedly so… modern.

Had this prison been built on top of something? Being led down this stairwell, Natsuki pondered on this.

The atmosphere altered suddenly, and it became colder. Along with this shift in temperature, she heard the faint hum of machinery.

"Is the morgue down here as well?"

"Actually, yes. It has to be cold down here, but I don't mind it." Yohko closed a thick door behind her, leading the inmate around before an office came apparent.

"We are going to talk." The doctor led her in, closing another door.

What could they possibly discuss? Natsuki's slow decline into insanity? Arching a brow, she lifted her wrists slightly. It was warm within this room at least, and so many colours to gaze upon…

Being guided towards a wheelless chair, Natsuki sat herself down. Curiously, she took in her surroundings. Everything felt far too sharp; like she was hypersensitive. Squinting her eyes, she cringed.

"I will dim the lights, but I need you to focus on me." She watched from the chair the doctor switching the light down. "Natsuki?"

She used her name? The inmate watched the doctor circle her for her own chair, a coal brow cocked. "What is it you would like to discuss…? I dare say I do not have much to say on that isolation chamber…"

"First, tell me how you got the gash. I'm afraid my nurse Yukariko neglected to mention it." Yohko eased back against the plush of her chair, watching the inmate as strictly as she was being observed.

"...I was overcome one night, grasped the bars of my door, and slammed my head into it."

"You think it is really as simple as you just described?"

"I had quite the headache after that bout of depression, if this is what you mean?" Natsuki was clueless, what was this doctor getting out of this? Was she missing something? Crossing a leg atop the other, Natsuki tilted her head. "If you must know, bludgeoning my head across those bars did seem to distress me a tad."

"So, you had a bout of depression before you hurt yourself?" Yohko quirked a brow, writing down a bit in her notepad.

"I had just killed my mother and sister, and lost my freedom. Of course I did." Natsuki stared, lifting a hand to rub at her eye.

"You were crying, then?" The doctor asked, pausing in her note-taking.

"Do you think me not without remorse?" The inmate's lips parted briefly in a ghost of a smirk.

"Now? Yes."

"Such a shame. Yet I thought we were having a heart-to-heart of sorts." Adjusting her leg, Natsuki mindlessly gripped the armrests of the chair. She was still trying to overcome the blocking of her senses. Although now that she thought on it, she doubted she ever would.

Her bandages drooped, and she stilled, staring at white fabric.

This simply wouldn't do.

"I will fix your bandages, check your wound… But I want you to do something after I do." Yohko warned, standing and retrieving a tray of supplies. Nothing sharp, however…

Not that Natsuki would hurt the doctor; She simply had no reason to. Escaping from down here would be next to impossible… If not suicide.

"Alright." She agreed, crossing her arms as she sat straight within the chair. The bandages were taken from her brow completely, as well as the small patch covering the wound.

"It looks fine…" Either way, it was spritzed with a painful spray, but Natsuki didn't bat an eye. Wound dressed once more, Yohko returned to her chair.

"I am going to give you a piece of paper. Upon it, I want you to draw a clock face, traditional. Numbers and hands. The time must be eleven-twenty." The doctor explained, passing a blank sheet over. She found a dull pencil, laying it near Natsuki's reach.

That was it? Simple enough, right? Glancing between the doctor, and the utensil, Natsuki took it. Altering it for drawing, the younger woman quickly went about scribbling onto the paper.

From twelve, she drew clockwise, right around to eleven. It was simple enough, as she suspected.

The clock face she drew was square, which intrigued the doctor observing. Whether or not that meant something, however…

The minute hand pointed to the four, and the hour to eleven. The minute hand was of course shorter, and as Natsuki turned the paper to be seen, Yohko nodded slowly. The clock face was perfectly made, instructions followed to a tee.

It took the center of the paper; Prominent and proud. Yohko set away her notepad, taking the offered paper to see more clearly. "Very good, Natsuki… Why a square face, however?"

"Reminded me of my Grandfather Clock. I miss it."

Cocking a brow, Yohko stretched for her notepad once more, writing down this feat. "Do you often feel attachment to objects instead of people, Natsuki?" Drifting her eyes upwards, she silently regarded the death row inmate.

"Mm… I think feeling attached to objects is natural. Material possessions are something people have raged wars over…" Natsuki diverted attention from truly answering the question, but Yohko's gaze persisted.

"I had a small stuffed bear when I was small. I had it with me over the years, and it had lost an eye and its nose. I stitched it up myself, and kept it in my bed." The inmate hummed lowly, as if trying to remember.

"What happened to it?"

"Nothing. I kept it safe. While it was kept safe, I allowed other things, and people, to… become lost to me. I did not care to keep irritating friends, but I kept my bear."

At the back of her mind, Natsuki wondered what had happened to him. If she ever got out of here- which was unlikely- perhaps she could find him?

"What did the bear mean to you?" Yohko adjusted her position in her seat, observing closely still.

"...What did it mean to me?"

"You kept it, stitched it up… It must have meant something to you?"

Natsuki kept quiet for a moment, humming lowly. "It… He was just a bear. A childhood toy and companion. I'm sure he is still around in the manor… somewhere."

Now the bear had a gender assigned to it? Yohko took note of the pronoun change and personalization of the bear, nodding along.

"But that's all he was. A bear. I take my fancy to certain objects, but not alike to a child anymore." Shrugging, the prisoner sighed, and leaned into the comfort of the chair.

She was already feeling so much better. Anywhere put that blinding, isolation room! This office was heaven.

"How was adjusting to the isolation chamber?" Yohko changed the subject, and Natsuki blinked.

"I was supposed to adjust? I did not."

"Then maybe there is hope for your sanity after all." Checking the clock, the doctor hummed softly. "I will call for a guard to return you to your cell. Please, no more struggles."

"I have no need to." Natsuki promised, sitting still as Yohko stood to exit the room. Now, why did the doctor trust her to leave her alone…?

Not that she could be bothered to make a hassle. That would be far too exhausting, what with her isolation. Natsuki would much rather sleep in her cell bed right now. That felt much more desirable right now, than be battered by night sticks.

She had no doubt it happened in Artai.

Ah, police brutality. Such a beautiful thing.

Her eyes were so… tired. Covering them, Natsuki allowed herself to revel in absolute darkness. Her head still felt a bit hot, perhaps she should mention it to Yohko? No, she would much rather just return to her cell.

The quiet in this office was more welcome than the silence of isolation.

* * *

"_Sounds like she's coming back." _It was already late in the night, almost midnight to be correct. Nao stared towards the corner separating her from the other cell stacks, glancing into Tomoe's cell.

Within these dark corridors of the labyrinth, everything echoed. It took a whisper to not be heard, but even so that was still a risk. But from the sounds of it, Kruger was still a distance off yet.

_"Warden Graceburt took a year off her sentence time. Kruger will be executed in the next year instead of waiting two." _Nao peeked further into the cell, cocking a brow.

"_With a move like that, I'm not surprised." _Tomoe murmured from the door. Drifting from the bars, she headed towards the bed. "_Would've thought she'd execute her on the spot. Like that last one."_

"_This one generates more… revenue. The longer she's here, the more stuff we can sell when she's dead. Well, that's their thoughts, anyway. For us, we'll have her out of here with you, hopefully."_

"_You make it sound like you know her." _Tomoe shot her a look of amusement. Setting herself on the bed, Tomoe grumbled, stretching. She just wanted to smoke…

"_I'd like to." _Nao smirked back to her, straightening up. She strode down the corridor, standing idly by the corner as the footsteps got louder. "Zhang, you've got your resident artist back." Two guards flanked Natsuki, the woman speaking.

"Well, let's get her back into that cell, huh?" Chuckling, Nao turned on her boot's heel. She cast a glance to Tomoe's door, focusing on Natsuki's and unlocking it. "Hey… That isn't regulation." She noticed the prisoner had been changed, and glared to the guards.

"Her father pulled some strings when she was admitted; Wants her to remain as… cozy as allowed." Natsuki had been changed out of her ivory isolation outfit, and back into her starched shirt and trousers.

"...Hm, odd all things considered."

Brushing the thought aside, the redhead opened the door. Upon this, it only took the guards a few moments to push the inmate inside. One manoeuvred inside, unlocking Natsuki's handcuffs. The other however, remained by the door, shutting it once the other made their exit.

Locking Natsuki's cell, Nao turned to the guards. "I've got it from here, thank you." She inwardly mocked them as they turned to leave, waiting until she could no longer hear the echoing of their steps.

"So… Kruger?"

"Guard?" The inmate kept the inflection tone that the redhead had used; Playful. Natsuki rubbed at her wrists, free of the heavy metal. Her wrists felt so much better…

All she honestly wanted to do was _sleep. _She had been under sensory attack for _hours_, after all. Her body demanded rest, and she wasn't about to disobey.

"Nice to meet you; Juliet Zhang. I'll be your patrol for the rest of the week." Nao smirked, peeking into the cell. It was different from Tomoe's; Kruger had… less things. But different things.

"Mm… Nice to meet you, too. Unfortunately, I desperately need to sleep." Natsuki cupped her eyes, and the redhead almost felt sorry for her.

"I don't blame you. Alright, get some sleep." Nao pulled back, knocking gently on the door. She retreated back to Tomoe's cell, gazing in silently.

Lime, and violet locked almost instantly. Tomoe shifted her eyes away from Nao's, suggesting dismissal. She didn't want to speak with Kruger yet? Understanding, the redhead glanced back towards the other inmate's door.

It made sense. Who would want to speak to someone falling unconscious, who had just survived isolation? Tomoe would've been insane to try.

She would share with Juliet this odd feeling she had in her gut just now; A feeling that Kruger could get out of her cell without even moving… Nao turned on her heel, striding off towards the other cell clusters.

Such an odd suspicion…

Hearing the patrolling guard walk off, Natsuki lifted her head to gaze out of the small window atop her door. All of these colors… It surely gave her a sensory overload. Lifting a hand to pinch the bridge of her nose, she closed her eyes.

She was… very tired. How long had she even been down there, in the chamber?

Laying back, she didn't bother with the flimsy blanket as she settled atop her bed. Resting a forearm over her eyes, Natsuki had a faint realization; A familiar pull at her memory.

There was a woman with the warden, after she had done away with Sergei…

She knew her.


End file.
